Dear Family, Friends, and Future Funders, my name is Chad Parker. I am a 17-year-old, 11th grade student who currently holds a 93.00 grade point average. I was fortunate enough to be recommended by my pre-calculus teacher to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF), which is an opportunity for future doctors and healthcare practitioners to receive hands-on medical experience. As an aspiring pulmonologist, I would love the opportunity to take part in this experience! The training will take place at an accredited medical school where I would experience the collegiate lifestyle, participate in an interactive curriculum, clinical skills rotations, and receive valuable insight and knowledge from doctors. I have the opportunity to choose between nine accredited medical schools across the US!

Personally, I have always been fascinated by the workings of the human body. As a child, I spent my time building clay models of the human skeleton and watching videos on YouTube by the Amoeba Sisters about random topics regarding health or anatomy. However, my fascination was not initially rooted in general interest but rather necessity. I was diagnosed with asthma at a young age and this continues to impact me. For as long as I can remember, health complications inhibited or limited either my family or myself from engaging in certain activities. When my family tried to explain why they could not do something, I would search for it on YouTube and watch a video for understanding. Out of the experiences of others, as well as, my own medical condition birthed my curiosity for the study of pulmonology. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, my dream of becoming a pulmonologist is that much more important. Thank you in advance for supporting my innate desire to help others by learning through experience.