Virtual Video Tour

Erwin Bautista Sunga was raised both in the Bay Area and San Diego prior to receiving his BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Philippine Studies at the University of San Francisco. During this time he would discover a sense of community and identity in serving and becoming part of it, setting roots in San Francisco following graduation. This would be the starting point of his journey into optometry working for an independent, private practice as a technician.

Over the course of 8 years, Erwin grew alongside the practice, eventually becoming the Frame and Optical Lead, cultivating a passion for personalized eyecare and individuality through eyewear. Here he would also bolster the need to serve, volunteering for an optical/optometric outreach program providing essential care and services to the marginalized. This experience would instill the core desire of integrating accessibility and advocacy with quality, individualized care as an optometrist in the future.

Berkeley’s holistic and non-traditional approach, along with its heritage was a major deciding factor and draw for Erwin as a non-traditional applicant who took a longer route and did not take the OAT. His experiences and evolution so far have been shaped by the program’s unique blend of clinical exposure, academic challenge, strong sense of community and culture.