While many students at Western Wayne High School volunteered time for community service for their senior projects, Kaitlyn Berkoski organized a race to raise money to help soldiers with personal emergencies.
Kaitlyn, 17, now says she's relieved that the project she worked to organize for most of the summer has ended, raising more than $300 for the Army Emergency Relief Fund, a private, nonprofit organization that collects money for soldiers and their dependents.
The event resonated with Kaitlyn. She knows firsthand about personal tragedy and plans to enlist in military service after finishing high school.
In February, her mother signed paperwork giving permission for her to join the Army Reserve.
Since committing to the military, Kaitlyn has attended weekly training meetings for future soldiers, something that has added focus to her life.
But that still didn't stop her from getting frustrated by details related to the race she created. Before deciding to organize Saturday's "Race for Freedom" through Scranton's Nay Aug Park, birthday parties had been the most complex events she'd coordinated.
"This has been a whole other cup of tea," said a stressed Kaitlyn, sitting at the sign-up table before the race.
Dedicated to a worthy cause throughout the summer, Kaitlyn didn't realize how much work went into planning the race event. It involved marking off a 1.5-mile course through the park and getting sponsors to donate bottled water and souvenirs for race participants. She also ordered cheese and meat trays for snacks after the race and made sure to have a small sound system to announce directions and race instructions.
Staff Sgt. Jason Jenkins, an Army recruiter in Scranton who helped with the race, said Kaitlyn's vision and effort in making the event happen provided insight into what leadership qualities she will offer the military.
"You can see what potential she has," he said.
A resident of Carbondale Twp., Kaitlyn may be young, but she's had to mature in many ways sooner than her classmates.
Surrounded by family and friends, Kaitlyn still thinks a lot about the parent who isn't there. Her dad, Raymond John Berkoski, committed suicide four years ago. He didn't leave a note.
Since her father's death, the high school senior has struggled with her dad's absence and still wants to find ways to make him proud. Joining the military is one example.
"I want to do it even more to show him that I can do it," Kaitlyn said.
After her dad's death, her mom didn't have enough money to support Kaitlyn and her older sister at their home, so the three moved in with Kaitlyn's grandparents.
After she begins receiving paychecks from the Army, Kaitlyn plans to help her mom get her own place again.
"When I get paid, I'll be able to send her money," Kaitlyn said.
Even with family struggles, Kaitlyn's empathy leads her to help strangers, which prompted her to choose the Army Emergency Relief Fund as the beneficiary of her senior project.
Not satisfied with raising more than $300 from Saturday's fundraiser, Kaitlyn plans to take fliers from the race to area businesses in an attempt to raise more money for the cause.
No matter how much money the event generated, her mother, Hope Berkoski, said she's proud of her youngest daughter for taking an idea and turning it into reality. Although she was a little apprehensive about her daughter enlisting in the military, Ms. Berkoski still gave her blessing.
"She's been talking about the service since she was 5," Ms. Berkowski said. "I know she'll do great at whatever she does."
Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter