By Patrick Cooley
By Patrick Cooley
Herald Staff Writer
Brookfield High School junior Alex Kneubehl is trying to raise enough money through donations to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in Washington and possibly earn come college credit at George Mason University.
Alex said he will visit several hospitals in the nation’s capital over nine days in June for the annual conference, attended by hundreds of high school students from all over the United States. The conference exposes students to different areas of medicine from top medical schools and institutions.
Some of the groups involved include the schools of medicine at Howard University, Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland; the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute of Frederick; Providence Hospital, and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
“At one hospital, the topic might be suturing,” Alex said. “But it (the conference) focuses more on leadership.”
Alex said medical school is something he has been considering, but he’s seriously interested in a career in virology, the study of viruses, and how to make new vaccines and improve existing ones.
He was nominated for the conference by biology teacher Phillips Rogers.
Alex said that even though he might not attend George Mason, he would still be able to use the college credit.
“It looks good on your college applications,” he said.
The total cost of the trip, Alex said, is $2,560. He said he’s already mailed letters to several doctors and businesses in Trumbull and Mercer counties and two doctors have responded.
The last time a Brookfield student went to this particular conference, according to Brookfield school records, was Gregory Tanner in 2004.
