Introducing the 2026 Golden Opportunity Award recipients

Two AOA members received a “Golden Opportunity” this year—a $50,000 award to help launch their first independent optometry practices. 

Established in memory of David Golden, O.D., co-founder of the Professional Eyecare Resource Co-Operative Alliance (PERC), the Golden Opportunity Award helps aspiring independent optometrists overcome financial barriers to practice ownership and invest in their futures. The program empowers optometrists from underrepresented backgrounds and those committed to serving underserved communities, helping create a more equitable future for optometry. 

Alelujah Ramirez, O.D., a Houston native and a graduate of the University of Houston College of Optometry, opened Iris Eye Care & Eyewear in the city’s EaDo/East End neighborhood, a diverse and medically underserved area with significant gaps in access to vision care. Her practice focuses on bilingual patient care, extended evening and weekend hours, and management of chronic eye and health conditions. 

Jessi Sampson, O.D., a graduate of the Kentucky College of Optometry, opened Sampson Eye Care in Flatwoods/Braxton County, West Virginia, a deeply rural and medically underserved region where she was raised. Her practice will become the only full-time optometry office within a 50-mile radius, helping expand access to essential eye care services in her hometown community. 

The 2026 Golden Opportunity Award recipients explain their paths to independent ownership and their goals for the next chapter.  

What drew you to independent ownership rather than another career path in optometry? 

Dr. Ramirez: Throughout my training and the years I spent practicing before opening my own doors, I kept coming back to the same realization: the doctor-patient relationship is what makes this profession meaningful to me, and independent ownership is what protects that relationship. Working within larger systems taught me a lot, but it also showed me what I didn't want—care dictated by corporate quotas rather than what a patient needs. I wanted the freedom to build a practice around unhurried exams, real conversations, and treatment plans rooted in what's best for the patient in front of me. Opening my own practice this year let me finally do that. 

Dr. Sampson: Independent ownership gives me the freedom to build the kind of practice I've always envisioned. Every decision—from the technology we invest in to the amount of time we spend with each patient—is centered on providing the best possible care, not meeting someone else's productivity goals or metrics. That ability to create a truly personalized patient experience and shape a practice around my values is what drew me to independent optometry. 

How will this award help you advance your goals as an independent optometrist? 

Dr. Ramirez: Beyond the recognition itself, this award is a vote of confidence at a moment when I'm still very much in the build phase—establishing systems, growing our patient base and figuring out how to bring specialty services such as myopia management, specialty contact lenses, and advanced dry eye care to my community. It's motivating fuel, and it also opens doors to a network of doctors who have walked this path before me. 

Dr. Sampson: This award will help me to continue expanding the level of care I can provide to my community. West Virginia has one of the most progressive scopes of practice for optometrists, allowing us to perform laser procedures that can significantly improve patient outcomes. My goal is to use this award to help invest in laser technology so patients in my rural community can receive advanced treatment close to home rather than traveling hours for care. Improving access to that level of care is something I'm incredibly passionate about. 

What values or patient experiences do you want your practice to be known for? 

Dr. Ramirez: I want it to feel like a neighborhood practice in the best sense of the word—warm, community-rooted, and invested in the people we serve. At the same time, I want us known for being evidence-based and technology-forward, bringing patients the latest in diagnostics and treatment rather than settling for “how it’s always been done.” Those two things go hand in hand: using the best tools and research available but without letting the technology replace the relationship. 

Dr. Sampson: I want my practice to be known for genuine compassion, thoroughness and trust. Every patient deserves to feel heard, valued and confident that their eye health is being evaluated with the latest technology and careful attention to detail. I hope my patients leave knowing that we truly care about them—not just as patients, but as people. 

What does success as an independent optometrist look like to you? 

Dr. Ramirez: Success, to me, comes in various forms. Success looks like proving that independent optometry can thrive—that an independent, doctor-owned practice can compete with corporate chains not by matching their scale, but by offering something they can't: long-lasting relationships and care that isn't dictated by financial quotas. It's building a practice that's sustainable: financially healthy, well-run and staffed by people who truly care. 

Dr. Sampson: Success isn't defined by the size of the practice or the number of patients we see. To me, success means creating a practice that consistently improves people's lives, earns the trust of the community and provides care that patients simply can't imagine receiving anywhere else. If we can continue expanding access to advanced eye care while making a lasting impact on our community, I'll consider that a success. 

What are you most excited about in the next chapter of your career? 

Dr. Ramirez: I'm excited to bring more forward-thinking care to my patients as the practice grows. That means investing in better technology, exploring new specialty services and staying ahead of where the field is headed. Optometry is evolving quickly, and I want Iris Eye Care to be a practice that patients trust to offer them the latest and best options. I'm even more excited to grow into a role where I can mentor other doctors considering independent ownership. This path can feel isolating and intimidating because there's no roadmap handed to you. I want to show it's possible, sharing what's worked, what hasn't and what I wish someone had told me. 

Dr. Sampson: I'm excited about where optometry is headed. The advancements in diagnostic technology, expanded treatment options and growing scope of practice are allowing optometrists to provide an even higher level of care than ever before. I'm excited to continue bringing those advancements to rural West Virginia while building a practice that serves our community for decades to come. My hope is to create a legacy that continues improving access to exceptional eye care long after I'm gone.

To support the Golden Opportunity Award program and help future recipients achieve their dream of practice ownership, donations may be made through The AOA Foundation.