Help Sophia attend NSLC at Duke University

My name is Sophia Damen and I am a sophomore at St. John Paul II Catholic High School in Huntsville, AL. I have been selected to attend the National

Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) on Engineering at Duke University this summer for 9 days!

This prestigious program selects outstanding high school students from around the world to participate based on academic excellence, extracurricular involvement and demonstrated leadership potential. It is an honor to be invited to attend the NSLC, and I am extremely excited about this opportunity.

I have created this Go Fund Me page in order to request financial support from family, friends and others, which will enable me to attend the Conference.

At the NSLC, I will have the opportunity to participate in leadership development workshops where I will develop skills including effective communication, public speaking, and conflict resolution. I will get to participate in and possibly lead hands-on simulations and will get to experience some of the most exciting work that is challenging professional engineers currently. In addition, I will participate in lectures and workshops that will give me a better understanding of Engineering and will help greatly to prepare me for college. I will attend briefings and participate in forum discussions led by National and World leaders in my chosen field. In recent years, NSLC students have met with Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan; Surgeon General Richard Carmona; Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, David Souter, and Anthony Kennedy; as well as many Senators, Representatives, and Ambassadors. Students attending with a focus on Engineering have met with top recognized individuals which includes Mr. George Levin, Director of Aeronautics & Space Engineering Board, The National Academies; Mr. Barrie Green, Assistant Director of Engineering Operations, NASA; Dr. C.D. Mote, President, National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Brian Scassellati, Director, NSF Expedition on Socially Assistive Robotics, Yale University and Dr. Stephen Carr, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University.

The cost for me to attend the 9-day conference will be approximately $4,800.00. This includes the program, room and board, course materials, program activities, travel to the conference and money for other incidental expenses. This is a large financial commitment and I am requesting your assistance. Your financial support in any amount will make a big difference in helping me attend the NSLC, which is an important endeavor in my educational goals. If you would like to donate but do not use online resources such as GoFundMe to do so, please contact my mom for other options to donate.

For verification purposes, you may also call NSLC directly at (800) 994 - 6752 to verify the program and costs.

Thank you in advance for any donations and for taking the time to read this. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing my link on your social media.