CARDINGTON — Kayla Hughes, a 9th grader at Cardington-Lincoln High Scbool, is a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders on March 20-21.
The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.
Hughes also attends Marion Technical College through College Credit Plus, where she has earned a 4.0 and completed over 30 semester hours.
“With this honor, I will get to attend a two-day conference where I can learn a lot of new things about becoming a doctor. My ultimate goal is to attend University of Findlay in their physical therapy program, in which I will receive my doctorate.”
Her goal is become a physical therapist because as a child with juvenile arthritis “I have experienced the pain associated with sports and dancing and want to be able to help kids that go through this.”
Hughes is a cheerleader at Cardington, as well as a member of the FFA and the marching band, 4-H club member and performs on a competitive dance team.
Her nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to represent Cardington-Lincoln based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.
During the two-day Congress, Kayla Hughes will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science Winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.
