| To
the Community
Dear Community of Cottonwood, I will be a senior at Prairie High School in Cottonwood and have been nominated to represent my school and our community as a member of the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18th - 27th. 
The Forum nominates exceptional students from around the country to attend an experiential educational program. Forum sessions take place in eight cities throughout the United States and over 100,000 have participated in NYLF. It will be a powerful experience, enabling me to interact with many prominent men and women in medicine, whom most of us only read about in the news. In school I have already taken the Fundamentals of Health Professions class and Medical Terminology. I have participated in the State HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) conference in Boise the past two years, and qualified for Nationals both years in my events of Medical Reading and CPR / First Aid. I also would like to take courses to become an EMT in the future. Attending this forum will enable me to further my interest in the field of Medicine and reach my career goals of becoming a a General Practice Doctor / Surgeon. I have had several surgeries and procedures in my 17 years, and I want to return the same quality of care to others. And, I just like helping people. I maintain a 3.8 GPA, am involved in HOSA, Boy Scouts, Band, Knowledge Bowl, Rafting Club, and I am a Peer Minister in my Church Youth Group. I was recently awarded Student of the Month at Prairie High School, and just earned the Life rank in Boy Scouts (just below the Eagle rank). Imagine if you had been given this opportunity for life-changing experience when you were in school and were unable to participate for lack of funds. That is why I am writing to you today. The cost for attending this forum is $3500, including airfare, meals and other expenses. I am investing every dollar I can of my own money. I work part time at Cottonwood Foods and for Morris Arnzen. I want to make sure I don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and am also taking on extra jobs to raise the funds I need. In addition, with the help of my family, I have already raised almost $2300. I am hoping that the people of Cottonwood and the surrounding area will consider assisting me with some of the remaining costs. Your support for my request would be greatly appreciated. Please contact me at 208-962-5350, or mail me PO Box 90, Cottonwood, ID 83522. For more information about NYLF go to their website at www.nylf.org/med Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Michael Karel |
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