By Amy Nile Herald Writer
MILL CREEK — Brittni Burgess, 18, is a senior at Henry M. Jackson High School. She represents her peers as the spokeswoman for the student body. Her many activities have centered around her passion for helping others and working with children. Burgess plans to attend to attend the University of Washington in the fall to pursue her goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon.
Question: Tell me about your school activities?
Answer: I was elected as the Associated Student Body’s public relations officer. I do announcements every day at school and articles for the student newspaper. We also do a lot of work as a team.
I’m a member of Link Crew. It’s a club that puts on events for freshmen to try to link them to the rest of the school.
I’m also the student representative for the district school board. It’s been a really great experience. I’ve contributed by providing the opinion of students, giving the board members a broader perspective.
Q: How are your studies going?
A: I’m in the top 10 percent of our class. I’m also a member of the National Honor Society. I have a 3.9 GPA with seven advanced placement classes. I’ve taken AP biology, chemistry, calculus, government, world history, U.S. history and literature. Science and math are what I’m most interested in. Those subjects come to me the easiest and I find them fascinating.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I like snowboarding. I was also a varsity swimmer all four years.
Q: What other activities do you do?
A: I’m the co-chair of the Mill Creek Youth Advisory Board. That’s an organization that puts on events for youth in Mill Creek. I’m learning how to plan events and follow through. The work really pays off when you see the joy of others.
I also work with Literacy for Love. That’s a club that does fundraisers to buy books for kids who can’t afford them or live in third-world countries. I’m really into helping with it because it’s more of a global outreach.
Q: What have you done to be successful in your endeavors so far?
A: One of my biggest struggles has been learning time management. I knew I wanted to be involved in a lot of areas. It took time to learn how to balance all of it.
Q: Who has influenced your high school career?
A: My parents have always been there to support my crazy list of activities. I had Mrs. Sheryl (Templora) Mason for honors biology. She got me interested in it and made possible the opportunity for me to go to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in Washington D.C.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: I’m going to the University of Washington in Seattle. I plan to major in biology and focus on pre-medicine. I want to go to medical school to become a pediatric surgeon.
Q: How did you decide you wanted to be a doctor?
A: Partly because I went to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine. I got a really eye-opening experience of the medical field. I was able to watch two live surgeries, go to a medical school and look at the cadavers and talk to doctors about opportunities in different areas of medicine. My grandfather was a doctor. He’d always tell my sister and I about things he saw in his work. He’s helped me set goals, prepare for the time involved and become committed to my work.
Q: How’d you choose your focus in medicine?
A: I want to become a pediatric surgeon because I’ve always had a passion for working with kids. I’m a swim instructor at Columbia Athletic Club. I needed a job to save for college. I also teach disabled kids how to snowboard with the Outdoors for All Foundation. The stories of the kids with disabilities have really inspired me to want to work with them. All of them have these great personalities no matter what they’re going through. That made me want to be involved in that specific field. It’s amazing that they see such a positive in life despite all the things they’ve went through.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m looking forward to living on my own. I want to join more clubs and do internships. There’s so many great opportunities in college. I’m excited to try them all out.
Q: What do you hope to leave behind?
A: I hope people can remember me as a good example of someone who contributed to Jackson in a positive way.
Q: What lessons will you take with you?
A: It’s good to appreciate what you have and give back to those less fortunate. Also, it’s important not to let others determine your path. It’s important to follow your own ambitions.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com.
