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High school scholar seeks funding to attend law conference in D.C. By VICKI GUARINO EAGLE POINT -- She raised money for her academic travels before, but this time, winning a seat at a national conference comes at such a high price, high school senior Richelle Blanchard isn't sure she'll be able to collect the prize. "Right now, it's pretty much up in the air," Blanchard says. By the end of next week , Richelle needs $980 for a law forum in Washington, D.C.. She has managed to raise just $400. The event is the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law, a weeklong series of lectures on legal specialties and education, with insight from professionals on demands and opportunities. Richelle's invitation to participate was a victory in itself, says Tim Rouhier, her academic advisor. The National Youth Leadership Forum, a nonprofit educational group based in Washington, every year asks high schools across the county to nominate a top student who meets the organization's academic and community service criteria. "There aren't too many kids who meet the qualifications for this," Rouhier says. "They make it clear they're only interested in your top student." Forum organizers received 2,000 nominees, and invited 300 students. Richelle is a 4.0 student, active in sports, youth groups and recently returned from this year's Girls State, where she won one scholarship and is one of two Oregon students in the running for a $20,000 national scholarship. Also this summer, Richelle was one of 17 Oregon students who won an International Order of Odd Fellows two-week United Nations Pilgrimage with tours of Northeast historic sights as well as a week in New York City. That prize included all expenses. Rouhier says the leadership forum's career-development orientation would benefit Blanchard, who is interested in a law career but has no specific plans. "The forum can go a long way in helping her decide what direction she wants to go," Rouhier says. "She's a very career-oriented individual, very goal-oriented." To raise money for the forum, Richelle is teaching swimming, and works for her father, school board member John Blanchard, in his pump business. Those earnings, however, aren't coming in fast enough to pay the forum bill by deadline, Blanchard says. So she has resorted to soliciting contributions from area businesses -- a practice that worked last summer when she won a place at another leadership conference in Washington, the World Leadership Congress of the Hugh O'Brien Foundation. That session, including a lunch with Vice President Al Gore, cost Blanchard $700. Eagle Point High School organizations, including student-funded and -run recognition programs, helped pay some of the cost. But with school out of session, Blanchard says, she can't seek contributions from school funds. Rouhier has been trying to help her raise the money, and remains optimistic about her prospects. He says he doesn't want lack of money to stop Blanchard the way it stopped another Eagle Point student. Last year, the school's first to student to qualify for a National Youth Leadership Forum -- a program in medicine -- couldn't afford to attend. Contributions to Blanchard's effort may be paid to Eagle Point High School, P.O. Box 198, Eagle Point, OR 97524. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA