McKenna Powell, a senior student at F.C. Boyd Christian School, attended the Future Doctors and Medical Leaders Congress in Boston, Mass., over summer break. 

“It was an amazing opportunity that I’m glad I got to experience,” said Powell. “One of the main messages is there’s always a path to success. If you fail, keep going because there’s a way for you to find success.”

Powell was nominated for the congress by her chemistry, biology and anatomy teacher Curt Darby after she expressed an interest in learning more about the medical field. She aspires to become an occupational therapist. She says her college choices include Milligan, Tennessee Tech, MTSU and possibly Harvard.

Powell was able to meet many inspirational heroes while at congress. Among the speakers were four Nobel Prize winners in science and medicine, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, former pro football player Bo Eason, full facial transplant recipient Carmen Blandin Tarleton and many professors, doctors and medical professionals from several Ivy League colleges including Harvard, Georgetown, Dartmouth and Duke universities. 

McKenna and her mother, Abby Cook, were also able to participate in a live viewing of a partial knee replacement surgery performed by Kevin B. Fricka, M.D. 

A few of her most memorable moments during the convention were being inducted into the Torch and Laurel Society, a national collegiate honor society, receiving an invite to join Future Docs Abroad, and taking part in pledging the Hippocratic oath for medical students in training. Powell has received an invitation to return next summer as an alumnus for the program.