Fundraiser: Michael to Volunteer-Teach in Kenya

Click this link to see my Fundraiser site. I'm headed to Africa to volunteer-teach in a Kenyan primary school, volunteer on my students' small-scale family farms and work with orphans at a nearby children's home. In addition to raising funds to help pay the cost of airfare and room and board, if enough money is raised, I also would like to purchase soccer and lacrosse equipment to donate to my students and the orphans. 

Gap Year 2015-2016

I'm currently taking a gap year for the 2015-2016 school year. I plan to enroll as a freshman and start college in the fall of 2016. I deferred college for one year to pursue a three-phased work, shadow and volunteer plan where I will work on an oyster farm, shadow medical professionals and volunteer-teach in Kenya, Africa.

Winter - Spring 2016: Service Learning in Naro Maru, Kenya, Africa

I will be teaching sixth and seventh graders at three different primary schools.  I will teach English, math, earth science, physical education and Kiswahili, the native language where I will a student rather than a teacher. In addition to teaching, there will be community-based infrastructure projects and I plan to donate soccer equipment and run a lacrosse clinic and donate lacrosse equipment, a sport they have never seen or played.
Program details can be found here

Service Learning in Kenya Video

Fall - Winter 2015: Career Shadowing

I have an interest in personalized medicine (genetics, pharmacology, Big Data, Internet of Everything). I’m shadowing people doing interesting things within the various fields that are intersecting around personalized medicine - physicians, anesthesiologists, geneticists, entrepreneurs, a President of “orphan” drug companies, healthcare administrators, a senior vice president at Oracle, sales managers at wireless tower companies, a Managing Director at a capital markets company, etc. I’m really excited about heading to the University of Michigan to see the work a graduate student is doing to prevent cancer. The goal is to further clarify my vision so I can find the University that will be the best academic and athletic fit.

Summer - Fall 2015:  Fishers Island Oyster, Fishers Island, NY

Lived and worked on a family-owned and sustainably managed suspension-culture oyster farm.

4-Year, 2-Sport, Student-Athlete with a 3.54 GPA

My #1 goal as a student-athlete is to attend a college or university with a very strong academic reputation and pursue a pre-professional program in order to work in health care. My #2 goal as a student-athlete is to continue my success as a soccer and lacrosse player on very competitive club teams.

• 2015 Graduate
• I am a 4-year, 2-sport student-athlete: soccer, basketball and lacrosse
• I am a 2-year, 3-sport student-athlete: soccer, basketball and lacrosse
• 3.54 Cumulative GPA 
• 6'3", 185# (and still growing)
• Soccer: Defensive MVP (Senior)
• Soccer: Defensive MVP (Junior)
• Lacrosse: Righty/lefty attackman/middie
• Lacrosse: Sophomore season #2 Assists and #3 Total Points.
• Lacrosse: Freshman season #1 Assists and #5 Total Points
• Lacrosse: Rookie of the Year freshman season
• Basketball: Two-time Conference Champions (Freshman, Sophomore years)
• Favorite subjects: Math, Science, Internet Technology
• Career Path: Medicine

I have been raised in a very competitive family environment. In college my Mom played varsity tennis and my Dad played varsity soccer and club lacrosse. My brother Cooper played for Coach Paul at The University of Michigan. While all his friends were heading to college for their freshman year, Cooper took the extra step to take a PG year at Brodie Merrill's Hill Academy in Canada to help make his DI lacrosse dream come true.

While all my friends were headed to college for their freshman year, I'm taking a gap year prior to heading to college. A three-phased work, shadow and volunteer plan where I will work on an oyster farm, shadow medical professionals and volunteer-teach in Kenya, Africa.