DELHI - Delhi, Illinois, student Alyssa Smith, an 11th grader at the Illinois Math and Science Academy, has launched a GoFundMe seeking $6,000 after being nominated to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine and Health Care at Yale University.
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The program is an eight-day program focused on experiential medical education. The fundraiser, organized by Pam Smith of Jerseyville, is intended to cover tuition, travel, and related program fees, with the first payment due March 15, 2026.
Smith wrote in the GoFundMe description that she lives with her grandmother in Delhi and is trying to raise money to attend the program.
“Since her retirement, her income decreased by half, and we are both hoping that I can raise enough money to attend an 8-day program at Yale University,” she wrote.
Smith said she has been nominated to represent her school and community at the forum, describing it as an opportunity to learn alongside other students from around the country.
“By attending this program, I will join other motivated students from around the country for an experiential medical program,” she wrote.
In the post, Smith said she hopes the program will expand her exposure to medicine and support her college plans.
“It will not only broaden my experiences in the medical field but also help me be able to get into more prestigious colleges,” she wrote.
Smith said she is aiming for a career in neurology. “Attending this program will allow me to further my interest in the medical field and reach my career goals of becoming a neurologist,” she wrote.
She also listed her academic and extracurricular activities, writing, “I maintain a 3.7 GPA, am involved in golf, theater, my school's peer tutor program, and was recently awarded the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence.”
Smith wrote that she is contributing her own money and said her ability to work is limited during the school year.
“I am investing every dollar I can of my own money to make sure I don’t miss out on this unique experience, and because I go to a boarding school, I cannot get a job until summer,” she wrote.
According to Smith’s post, tuition is paid in installments. “My tuition is paid in installments. I need $900 each month. The first payment is due by March 15th, 2026,” she wrote, adding, “The total of 6,000 isn't due until July 15.”
Click below to donate to Smith's GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-alyssas-dreams-her-journey-to-yale
