By Kara Hallam

Enterprise Editor

@KaraHallam

When New Tech High@Coppell sophomore Emily Palmer received a long awaited letter from Harvard to attend this summer’s medical conference for the youth in Boston, her first question was, “how am I going to pay for it?”

As a student athletics trainer, Palmer found her passion for health sciences and views this conference, where she will meet renowned experts and see a live surgery, as a once in a lifetime trip.

“It was something when we had to fill out a [collegeboard survey], I put down my interests, which was medical, and [Harvard] contacted me,” Palmer said. “My friend got a letter from them a long time ago so I really wanted one and it finally came in. I was really, really excited for that.”

However, she is paying her own way, so Palmer has taken on babysitting and started a campaign on Go Fund Me, which is a website used all over the nation to start easy and accessible donation campaigns.

The idea to start a Go Fund Me came from her English I facilitators Janelle Bence.

“We’ve had people in the past do mission trips, and [Palmer] just said ‘do you need a car wash and things like that’ and I just think there are more efficient ways to [raise money], so I just said why not?” Bence said. “This is why it’s important to write, know how to network, know how to present yourself on social media and know how to write and get in a few words but powerful words.”

Palmer has been promoting her campaign on Facebook and among family, friends and peers.

At the conference, Palmer would get to observe some of the new medical technologies, talk to some of the nations leading doctors and observe a live surgery.

“It’s kind of gross to some people, but I find it really interesting,” Palmer said. “When I was little I never wanted to be a doctor but when I got into high school I didn’t really know what to do with my P.E. credit so I got into sports medicine and I ended up really enjoying it.”

Palmer has been an athletics student trainer at NTH@Coppell for two years now. As a trainer, she’s learned how to help athletes when they get injured, how to understand the anatomy of ligaments, muscles and bones and how to rehabilitate some injuries. She hopes she can learn even more at the medical conference.

“At first I thought it was way too expensive and I wasn’t going to go but then I started looking into and it seemed really interesting to me, so I thought I could raise the money because it’s really expensive,” Palmer said.

Palmer has to raise $1,700 by April 10, almost a week before the day the forms for the program are due.

“I hope that this will put me at more of an interest for some college so that it can be easier to get a degree in medicine,” Palmer said. “I know it’s something not a lot of people get to go to, it made me feel really special that they picked me out of all the people.”

Palmer was inspired by a North Texas symposium she attended last year where she saw a human arm dissected and spoke with doctors in the field she is most passionate about.  Real world opportunities like these have made her drive and interest to become a doctor increase greatly.

“I am really looking for a career in medicine and not just trying to get money out of it and it is just something that would mean alot to me if someone [donated],” Palmer said.

Bence agrees that she sees positive impact in her students, who attend these types of conferences.

“When people go to these kind of conferences they’re re-energized; a lot of times they are able to find what is really important to them and they are able to do good instead of just focusing on their own little world and it’s always a good idea to branch out,” Bence said. ‘It’s possible so don’t let money stand in your way.”

Palmer’s mother, Jena Palmer, is proud that her daughter is not only working hard to pay her own way, but that she also has discovered her calling at such a young age.

“I’m glad that she’s knows what she wants to do already,” Ms. Palmer said. “There’s so many kids that don’t know and I’m glad she knows the area she wants to get into. I’m proud of her, I know she really wants to go so she’s taking the initiative to do it herself, and she’s willing to work to make the money.”

Bence also spoke on Palmer’s character.

“She has such a positive attitude and it’s always can do, can do,” Bence said.  “She’s on top of it. She’s really really capable and confident she’s not going to drop the ball.  She’s very responsible and she holds herself accountable. When she’s says she’s going to do something she does it. “