April 2, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan.--Sophomore rower Kelsey Simpson has always enjoyed being around kids. She often spends time at an elementary school in her hometown of Spring Hill, Kan., and this summer Simpson will be working at Camp Boggy Creek, a camp for terminally ill children in Eutis, Fla.

“I was looking for summer internships that dealt with research or pre-medicine experiences,” said Simpson. “I just managed to stumble upon their website and I knew right away this was what I was supposed to do.”

Simpson is majoring in biochemistry and Spanish and hopes to attend medical school.

“I want to ultimately go on to work with children and I have been considering work in pediatric oncology or life threatening diseases,” said Simpson. “This summer is going to give me first hand experience to see if it is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Camp Boggy Creek offers weeklong stays for children and weekend retreats for families free of charge. Simpson will be working as camp counselor during the summer session of the camp that runs from June through August. Each week of the summer session, a different illness group will visit the camp.

“I have never done anything like this before,” Simpson said. “I am very excited and nervous at the same time.”