Winter has been a busy season for Cornwall High School senior Kelsie Costello. In January she learned she had won an essay contest sponsored by Teaching the Hudson Valley. She was also nominated to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington, DC from Feb. 14 to 16.
Costello’s essay was originally submitted as an assignment for her Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) English class. Her teacher submitted those essays that met the requirements for the contest. The title of the contest was “Writing about Place” and was open to students in grades K-12. The essay had to be under 750 words and be about a favorite place in the Hudson Valley. It had to be a public, rather than a commercial, place. The contest required a description of the favorite place using sights and sounds. Costello opted to write “Bench” which is about her favorite picnic table at Ring’s Pond in Riverlight Park in Cornwall.
“I came up with this right away once I understood it had to be about nature,” Costello said. “My best friend and I always walk over to this specific bench and talk. It’s on the roadside of the pond closest to Town Hall.”
Costello hasn’t frequented the pond much this winter, but in the summer she and her friend spend at least two days a week there for 30 minutes up to two hours. They hang out, talk, bring other friends, and even play games, such as Egyptian Ratscrew, with a standard deck of cards.
“On a scorching, summer day, my picnic table waits to comfort a tired body,” Costello writes in her essay. “It offers a place to sit, breathe, and get out of the blazing sun. I find that a cool breeze can wash away all fears and stress. Shade is always available from the thick foliage of the trees. Differently, sitting at my bench, on a crisp autumn night, the air is a reminder the sting of winter is near. It is less common that I visit my table in the winter; I pass by, promising to return when the snow has melted. In the spring, the freshly cut, plush, green grass is the perfect place for a game of Frisbee with friends and the raised grain of the table top a perfect place for a round of cards. Everything about my picnic table lends itself to a consoling environment.”
Costello wrote her essay in October and found out she was the winner, among other high school students, in January. One winner was selected per group level (elementary, middle, and high school). She wasn’t sure how many students in the Hudson Valley submitted entries, but she knows at least 60 came from her class alone.
Costello received a B+ from her teacher, so she was surprised when she received a Twitter message from her professor announcing her as the winner. She didn’t think she had much of a chance at winning. As a prize, Teaching the Hudson Valley will pay up to $750 to transport Costello’s entire class to the park for a day in the spring.
As if winning the essay contest wasn’t enough, Costello also received word she had been nominated by one of her CTEC teachers to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders during Presidents Day Weekend. Costello joined other students, from across the nation, also interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.
Unexpectedly, Costello received a letter in the mail with a gold seal on it, accompanying some other paperwork, providing details about the conference.
“When I first got it, my dad thought it was a fake. I was excited because I’m very passionate about the medical field. I know that’s what I want to do. I want to submerge myself in it as much as possible. I thought it was so cool and my dad totally shut it down. I talked to my guidance counselor the next day and she said it was real.”
During the three-day congress, Costello heard Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research; she was given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what is to be expected in medical school; witnessed stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; was inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learned about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.
“I thought it was really unique. They just kept saying how much they want to help with our futures and how we are the best and brightest in the nation. It was humbling. I’m not at the top of my class, but I try my best and they were recognizing me for that.”
Costello started taking a medical theory class at CTEC at the beginning of the year. She’s currently rotating among various medical facilities in Orange County getting a taste of every aspect of the medical field. The rotations are helping her weed out the areas of expertise she doesn’t like. Right now Costello is leaning toward a career in trauma as a surgeon or ER physician.
Costello is unsure where she’ll be attending college, but she applied to SUNY Brockport, Binghamton University, Hartwick College, Allegheny College, Yale, George Washington University, Quinnipiac University, and Northwestern University.
