Student youth leader seeks donations for medical program

A sophomore at Carson High School who was accepted into a 10-day summer program for youth that focuses on medicine needs help with the $2,200 cost.

Kaileen Bachman, 15, a youth leader for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada, has raised nearly half of the money by seeking donations from adults at her church and at the Boys & Girls Club.

But Kaileen needs to raise the rest before April 17 or give up a chance to go to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine.

"I'm very interested in going," she said. "I just want to let people know that if they were to be my sponsor, how dedicated I am."

She was one of several students nominated by her Carson High School Teacher Frank Sakelarios, who teaches "Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries."

A requirement of the class is that students complete 20 hours of work outside of class with sports teams to increase their understanding of athletic care.

"She's already up to more than 40 hours, which is all on her own time," Sakelarios said. "With her schedule, it makes it difficult to get that many hours."

He nominates students every year for the leadership forum on medicine.

"I do it because I hear great things from other athletic trainers who have sent people," he said. "Another reason I do it is it gives students a chance to see first-hand what a hospital looks like and how it operates, and a lot of things you would see as an athletic trainer."

If Kaileen makes the deadline, she will choose from one of several locations around the United States to attend. The $2,200 cost includes airfare, hotel accommodations and food.

"I want to go to Boston," said Kaileen "If not, my next choice is Chicago. I've just heard a lot of good things about Boston and Chicago and their medical places."

She is on the junior varsity soccer team at Carson High School and she wants to go into sports medicine after high school. Several relatives making the same choice have inspired her.

"I think it's just a once-in-a-lifetime chance that you are able to go, that you get nominated and are picked," she said. "Not everyone has the chance to go to these things."

Kaileen, who is at the Boys & Girls Club nearly every afternoon after school, said her family just does not have the extra money for her.

"It's just not there," she said.

• Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.