Student fund-raises to attend Camp Medicine
Sahaja Hladky didn't have enough money to go to a special camp for veterinary studies this summer, but she didn't let that stand
in her way.
The 15-year-old Bijou School junior, who says she's “always been in love with horses,” set out on her own fund-raising mission. She baked pies, painted Christmas ornaments, and had an auction. Her father and grandmother matched the $400 she made from these efforts, and at last Sahaja was on her way to Camp Medicine at St. George's University in Grenada in the West Indies. The 10-day program helped her advance her budding knowledge of animal care. The experience, in which the Westside resident joined about 90 other young people from the United States and other countries, was “really cool,” she said. “I learned about different animals and got more insights about some things I already knew.” Even an action as “gross” as having to reach up into a cow's hind end did not discourage her from her goal of becoming a large- animal veterinarian, she recalled. Her goal now is to take advantage of the system at Bijou - an alternate Westside high school that allows motivated students to earn credits at a faster pace - to graduate a year early, then start working for her bachelor's degree at Colorado State University. She likes CSU because it has a “very good veterinary program,” Sahaja said. After that, she would have another three or four years of post-grad studies at CSU before she could receive the necessary certification, but she said she's ready for it. Bijou counselor Kathryn Presnal spoke highly of Sahaja and her amibitious plan, saying that although she needs to pick up her math a bit, “If anyone can do it, Sahaja can.” Westside Pioneer article |