While 15-year-old Anthony 西科尔斯基 faces the same challenges any adolescent does, he is not your typical teenager. Most 15-year-olds don’t attend college, receive presidential recognition and even create course material that future collegiate scholars will rely on for years to come. 西科尔斯基, who also has cystic fibrosis, adrenal insufficiencies and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, was just 14 when accepted by Carroll. He began this fall as Carroll’s youngest incoming first-year student.

Given 西科尔斯基’s intelligence and drive it wouldn’t be difficult to see him fought over by numerous universities, but he repeatedly uses two words in explaining why he chose Carroll: welcoming and accommodating. 卡罗尔学院和 入学 staff worked hard to make sure his schedule would facilitate needed medical treatments, that classrooms would be accessible to his wheelchair and that he’d be able to spend plenty of time with his family.

And then there are the facilities. 西科尔斯基 was particularly impressed with the Michael and Mary Jaharis Science Laboratories building. 今年秋天, he experienced biology and chemistry labs in Jaharis, and is looking forward to more classes there, saying he admired the thought that went into the structure. “这非常令人印象深刻. I’d like to thank the investors and the people who planned and built it. It’s a nice space to be in.”
    
西科尔斯基 was also drawn in by the fact that three influential adults in his life are Carroll alumni. Nurse Kristi Kirk ’95 and biology teacher Douglas Drenzek ’93 from Arrowhead High School, where 西科尔斯基 attended, along with piano teacher Joseph Lecher ’07, are all Carroll graduates he is close to.

西科尔斯基 said he has found Carroll very welcoming. “Even before the official academic semester started, people from the biology department said I could do some informal research,他说。. 他所做的研究 Dr. 托德·莱文 are conducting will be used in assignments for future biology students. In addition, biology lecturer Dr. 克里斯汀•施奈德 has discussed a lab position with him. 他的兴奋, as Schneider’s research deals with bacteria that can cause lung infections among cystic fibrosis patients.

西科尔斯基 has a ready response when asked about his youth: “hard work and dedication.” He has worked tirelessly to go above and beyond in his courses, driven by a deep passion for knowledge.

卡罗尔后, 西科尔斯基 hopes to attend medical school, “inspired almost exclusively by my medical conditions.” Should his age bar him from attending medical school immediately following graduation, he might opt to pursue a doctorate and perhaps become a geneticist to help people dealing with illnesses such as his. As for his own health, 西科尔斯基 said that “if people can hear me talk about my medical problems, 谈论一次, and not bring it up in the future, 我更喜欢它.” He doesn’t want pity. After all, his ailments aren’t things he can change or control.

“I’m just very fortunate things have worked out the way they have,” he said. “Could things have worked out better? 当然. Is it a pressing thought on my mind? No. The present is well enough. I have no regrets about anything. If you put yourself to work and show dedication and resilience in the field you choose, life generally has a way of rewarding that.”