All I did was travel door to door in my community talking about the program and what it meant to be invited. I kept detailed reports with names, addresses, and phone numbers as well as the amount donated so I could return all money if I was not accepted.

Long story short, I raised enough money to attend the conference, buy some clothes for the week, and send thank you cards signed by our congressmen to those who contributed. I will remember the conference for the rest of my life. I forged strong friendships with those I met and had other experiences [that] influence every aspect of my life.