One Morris teen is aspiring to enter the medical field, but he needs some help to get there.

Brad Norred, a Mortimer Jordan High School junior, is trying to raise $2,760 to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in New York City next year. The deadline for a down-payment of $675 is Jan. 7, but he said all the spots could be filled if he waits until then.

The nine-day conference will host about 100 students from across America, and will feature speakers from Harvard and Yale medical programs, as well as numerous cardiologists, neurosurgeons and other advanced medical professionals.

“It’s an opportunity to further my knowledge,” he said.

Norred is applying for a scholarship for the program, but it’s awarded on a need basis rather than a merit basis and he isn’t sure he’ll get it. He’s currently asking for donations and planning several fundraising events. He is planning to have a car wash soon, ask the town of Morris to allow him to have a “road block” fundraiser and is even doing small jobs for companies such as Webb Payroll in Gardendale.

“I’m a professional grass mower,” he said. “I’ll do anything, even if it comes down to baking pizzas and selling them from the house.”

Although Norred has always excelled academically, he said he didn’t have a clear idea of what profession he wanted to be in until last year during a sports medicine class taught by Coach Christopher “T.K.” King, who nominated Norred for the conference.

“T.K. said, ‘Whenever you look at a profession and see a dollar sign, you might want to reconsider,’” said Norred. “I live 15 minutes from an excellent medical school, and I knew I had a knack for it. It started making sense to go into medicine.”

Norred wants to work in orthopedics because of its hands-on and athletic nature.

He also has a long history of volunteer work in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, food banks and Big Brother, Big Sister. He has also participated numerous times in the Youth Leadership Forum of Birmingham, and has even been asked to select future participants.