Help Cadence Attend STEM Summer Program

Cadence (11 years old) was nominated by her 5th grade teacher to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM summer program at Babson College. She was selected for her maturity, academic excellence and leadership potential!

Cadence applied for a scholarship and received $500 towards her tuition! She is one ambitious kid and is looking forward to this opportunity.

Here is the essay she wrote when applying to the program:

When I was in 4th grade I had an assignment to write out my whole life path and career choice. My teacher Mrs. Zybas made my classmates and I think really hard about what we wanted it to be. I already knew what I wanted to be right away! I want to be a Veterinarian. I know that it will take eight years of hard work and schooling, but i'm ready for the challenge.

I've always loved animals from the day I got my first goldfish Elmo. I was three when I got him so I don't really remember having him, but I do remember having love in my heart for him.

My mom and dad got me guinea pigs for my fifth birthday. I remember telling my parents that I would take care of them with every chance I got. They believed that I was responsible enough to have them and I was.

After caring for them for two years, a very sad day came when I discovered a tumor on one of the guinea pigs sides. I helped her with the pain by rubbing a special salve on it. She lived a few more weeks then passed away. The other guinea pig was in need of a companion, so I saved up enough money to buy her a little friend. Over time that guinea pig died so I had to sadly sell the other one.

One last story i'de like to share of my love of animals began in my dads back yard. I was trying to catch one of my cats and heard some squeaking noises coming from her mouth. I finally caught her and found a hurt chipmunk that she was hunting. I gently picked the chipmunk up and brought it to my dad's friend. She texted her sister who is a veterinarian her sister said to let the chipmunk rest and bring it some water. I got an old shoe box and laid grass in it with a bottle cap full of water. I laid the chipmunk in the box and grabbed it some blackberries. The next day I went to visit the chipmunk and it was alive and healthy. I named the chipmunk Blackberry The Warrior and then released it into the wild.

I can't wait to save more animals when I become a veterinarian.

We are so appreciative of any amount you can donate or even just a shout out of encouragement for our hard-working, intelligent, compassionate kiddo!!!

THANK YOU!!!!