Sasha Surkin

18, GREENVILLE, STUDENT

Hobbies or passion projects?

ClearCare, reading, “CAPTURE 19,” a start-up I founded to aid in COVID relief (www.capture19.org), as well as playing the piano, harpsicle, guitar and ukulele. I created, edited, and produced the world-award-winning video for Boneyard Robotics, my FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team. I also created NCMMS’s Giving Tuesday Campaign.

What is the one thing so far, that you are most proud of? I am most proud of the journey that has led me to where I am today with ClearCare. It has not been just one thing that has enabled me to bring myself to where I am today, it has rather been a multitude of things, mainly being my family. My parents, Elizabeth Surkin and Dr. Lee A. Surkin, are my best friends and greatest supporters in my life, and my two sisters, Jenevieve and Julianna Surkin, are also my best friends and make me smile every day. So, I am really most proud of my conduct as well as my actions that have resulted in who I am and what I do today.

What is your anthem (song that represents you)? I adore the song “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce.

Favorite food? Most often, it’s breakfast food like fruit (blueberries) with yogurt, an over-easy egg on toast with coffee. I love broccoli so much, and spinach too!

If you could have dinner with any one person dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I’d have dinner, well preferably breakfast at a restaurant I’ve always wanted to go to in New York called Balthazar’s, with Bill Gates. This is because I read in the same New York Times article that inspired ClearCare that stated that Gates did not comment on the issue of the lack of vision care worldwide, so I’d like to ask him his thoughts on ClearCare and his thoughts on my research on the economic and social impact of vision care.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I will be 22. I see myself graduating from university and attending graduate school. In five years, I see myself being happy and excited to see what I will do, which right now I think will definitely be entrepreneurship.

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Important Video Links:

ClearCare Dreamer Competition video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wFNAp_xcMBY The TEDx program I created and am Executive Chair of: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=oX6auetY6WM&t=172s

Her — March 2021 www.reflector.com/her