A Good Cause
Three unlikely high school volunteers are changed forever through their experiences volunteering at Walter Reed.
Originally aired on October 1st, 2008
Barbara Lau
Executive Director
CAUSE - Comfort for America's Uniformed Services
Courtney LaVelleye
Student Volunteer
CAUSE - Comfort for America's Uniformed Services
Ellie Gass
Student Volunteer
CAUSE - Comfort for America's Uniformed Services
Courtney Lavelleye
One of her greatest friends describes her best: "Courtney is the energetic, all-American girl." The 18-year-old high school senior from Potomac, Maryland, is more or less the ringleader of a three-person crew - Courtney, Ellie, Grace. While many of their classmates have been sleeping in on the weekends, Courtney and her two best friends have spent the past two years volunteering every Saturday at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Inspired by the work she has done at the hospital, Courtney's goal is to pursue a career as civilian nurse for a military treatment facility, like Walter Reed.
Grace Park
Grace, also 18 years old, is the valedictorian at Bullis High School. As Ellie says, "She's good at everything - she's all around amazing." She does have two rooms with two closets to fit all her clothes, but Grace is the first to admit she lives in a sheltered upper-class suburb, or as she calls it, "the Potomac Bubble." It's something she discovered while volunteering with Courtney and Ellie at Walter Reed. The experience for her was eye opening and, like the other girls, life changing. The lucky one of the group, she'll be attending nearby Georgetown University this fall, and will still be able to pop in for visits at Walter Reed.
Eleanor Gass
Originally from England, 18-year-old Ellie Gass is also a senior at Bullis High School in Potomac, Maryland. Out of the three girls, she's the self-described 'athlete' of the group, which became a bonding point for her and many of the patients at Walter Reed. Like Courtney, Ellie has been so deeply impacted by what she's seen and experienced at Walter Reed, that she's now hoping to pursue a future career in physical therapy.
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