We are very proud of the work that our patient Katie Backus is doing in the community. A recently published article in Dublin Life Magazine describes her accomplishments. Keep up the great work Katie!
It is a wonder that Katie Backus had time to achieve the Gold Award in high school. The 18-year-old did not let sports (including soccer, basketball, track and swimming), her role as vice-president of student council, AP classes or National Honor Society take away from her time spent giving back to the community.
Inspired by the impact that a drunk driving accident that killed two local teens had on the community, Backus and a friend developed a project during their junior year that taught teens about drunk driving.
During the project, they educated their peers by dramatizing the statistic that one person dies every 20 minutes from drunk driving. Throughout one school day, they removed a student every 20 minutes from class, gave them a black balloon that read “I died due to drunk driving” and instructed them not to speak for the rest of the day, simulating their death.
At an assembly held later in the day, Backus presented information about drunk driving, which included a Mothers Against Drunk Driving speaker and an activity aided by an Olentangy police officer.
“My favorite part was seeing all of our seats filled up and having the spots of black where the students might not have been if they had actually died,” she says.
As a current student at The Ohio State University, with a future career as a veterinarian, Backus hopes to help her school if they use her Gold Project to teach students about drunk driving in upcoming years.
Kylie Reynolds is a contributing writer for Dublin Life Magazine.
courtesy of Dublin Life Magazine
