Mt. Carmel H.S. wins $25,000 grant to promote biomedical careers | Health

Mt. Carmel High School has been awarded one of 40 $25,000 grants from State Farm.

The grant will promote student interest in biomedical careers as part of the State Farm Cause An Effect program.

Voting has been taking place on the company's special Facebook page.

In its entry, Mt. Carmel wrote:

We are a rural community with high rates of unemployment. Few local students graduating high school return to work here. They know they will be forced to move due to lack of job and career opportunities. We must create a vision for community growth led by youth who see the benefit in returning home to make it a place where more than a few career options exist and where they can make a difference!

The recent return of a hometown graduate to practice orthopedic medicine at our local hospital has created a renewed interest in local medical careers, a bright light in an otherwise dim environment! The time is right for our high school to generate interest in Biomedical Sciences including pharmaceutical research targeting biotechnology drugs to fight illness. There is no reason why medical careers cannot be created and supported in downstate rural areas such as ours. This grant will fund items such as lab equipment, computers, software and student materials to support biomedical courses at the high school.

In all, 40 causes received the grants "to help build safer, stronger, better educated communities," according to State Farm.

The State Farm Youth Advisory Board, a diverse group of 30 students who are passionate about social responsibility, reviewed the Cause submissions and helped State Farm select the top 100 finalists.