2019 Education Enrichment Fund Scholar
It was difficult for Brook to learn that he has epilepsy, but, oddly enough, it eventually became a relief. He finally understood why he would miss entire plays during a hockey game and why he would miss pieces of what his teachers were saying in school.
Epilepsy ended up making Brook a stronger person. It taught him to persist and work hard to achieve success. This new understanding of his life as a student, athlete, and patient gave him direction. Brook helped contribute to a study on genetic idiopathic epilepsy and soon realized his desire to become a neurologist. He has joined countless epilepsy awareness campaigns, including representing Vermont at Teens Speak Up!. There he lobbied legislators to support National Health Institute funding for research of neurological diseases.
This summer, Brook was invited to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to use CRISPR-Cas9 technology to modify genes. He plans to attend college to become a neurologist and hopes to greatly impact technology and practices to aid those living with neurological diseases.
*Brook was awarded a 2018 scholarship, but deferred to 2019.
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