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What’s wrong with this generation?

As culture changes from one generation to the next, this question has become as much an American tradition as hot dogs and apple pie.

The World War II generation scoffed at the Baby Boomers’ counterculture revolution in the 1960s. The Baby Boomer generation mocked the gangster rap and grunge music frequently enjoyed by Generation Xers. Now, Generation X wonders whether members of Generation Y possess any meaningful skills outside of surfi ng the Internet or sending text messages.

Never fear, America. Each generation has its fair share of big dreamers and big doers who continue to make this country a measuring stick for the rest of the world.

Alex Keeler, a senior at South Sumter High School, is one of them. Sure, he is a walking stereotype of someone his age — he is nationally ranked in the video game World of Warcraft, he loves spending time on the computer, and he is an avid fan of rap music.

But look beyond those things and you’ll see a young man who is extremely intelligent, a hard worker, enjoys learning, and tackles each endeavor with utmost passion. Not only does he reach for the stars — he actually has a minor planet named after him. That’s because Alex has wasted little time making an impressive impact on the world. In between taking college-level classes and participating in afterschool programs and athletics, he has found time to act on his dream of preventing bacterial infections that are rampant in third-world countries.

“There’s more to our generation than meets the eye,” says Alex, who turns 18 this month.

He’s changing the world

Alex is the antithesis of lazy, the term many use to describe today’s youth. Throughout high school, he has successfully juggled his time playing sports while serving as president of his school’s science club, vice president of the school’s Law Academy, and marketing director of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America Club. He also has attended prestigious leadership conferences and served 280 hours as a volunteer camp counselor at Camp Wildwood. He is currently dual enrolled at Lake-Sumter Community College and will have earned 50 college credits by the time he graduates high school in 2012. And let’s not forget his unprecedented success in science fairs, where he has advanced to the regional and state competitions for seven consecutive years.

That’s quite a list of accomplishments for someone his age. However, one of his proudest achievements to date is conducting countless hours of research and laboratory work to help cure bacterial infections. This endeavor actually began while he was a seventh-grade student looking for a science fair project idea for the following school year. He happened to discover two Sumter County men — Billy Vernon and Danny Cowart — whose families had devised a “backwoods recipe” using pepper juice for general health benefits. They talked extensively to Alex about their con- coction, and a light bulb went off in the young boy’s head.

“I thought this would be a great idea for a science fair project,” he says. “I was fascinated when I did some research and found that the pepper juice contained properties that are responsible for bacteria inhibition.”

Among those natural properties are capsaicin, a chemical compound found in peppers that is a natural pain reliever and boosts metabolism. The pepper juice also contains garlic that, among other health benefits, aids skin irritation and infections. There are no chemically altered ingredients.

As an eighth-grader, Alex advanced to the state level competition of the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida, winning first place in the medicine and health category. The effects of pepper juice on bacterial infections became a focal point of his science fair projects for the next four years. In 2009, he advanced to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in Reno, Nevada. For that particular project,

Alex Up Close And Personal

he tested the effectiveness of pepper juice on 20 people who drank small amounts of the juice twice a day over a threemonth period. Alex discovered that pepper juice was not only beneficial in treating bacterial infections but also contained other health benefits.

“I recorded their blood work every other week and found that cholesterol levels were lowered by as much as 70 points,” he says. “Their blood pressure dropped by 50 points and their blood-sugar levels were regulated also. One man was able to stop taking his blood pressure medicine altogether and only drank the pepper juice. The most amazing discovery was that there were absolutely no negative side effects.”

His science fair project wowed judges, landing him an overall second-place finish. That was an impressive feat, especially considering there were 1,800 participating students representing 56 countries. For his extraordinary efforts, a main-belt and d T.I. nd d and n watch co

Favorite Musicians: I like a variety of styles, ranging from Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa to Eminem and T.I.

Favorite Hobbies Outside School: My favorite hobbies would have to be spending time with my girlfriend and watching movies.

Favorite Subject: My favorite subject in school is chemistry because it comes naturally to me and it is really a complex, fun science. It is one of the reasons why I’m pursuing a career in pharmacy.

Favorite Automobile: I absolutely love muscle cars. I drive a 2007 Ford Mustang. I love cars made between 1968 and 1971. My favorite models are the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger and Charger.

Exercise: I try to exercise as much as possible. What has worked well for me in the past are the Insanity videos. However, I’m currently looking for a good gym that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Video Games: I am a champion in World of Warcraft. How did I become a champion? It’s a mix of passion, experience, and skill. I’ve been playing for a while and I’ve become very good at the class I play, which is a rogue.

Research project in 2000 was named after Alex. He was also one of two students selected to receive a $40,000 scholarship to the University of Sciences in Philadelphia.

Into the lab

However, his extensive research on the topic hasn’t been limited to science fair projects. He has spent much of his free time working in the microbiology departments of Leesburg Regional Hospital and the University of Florida. Alex, along with other researchers, has tested the effectiveness of pepper juice against specific bacterial infections such as Salmonella, Staph Epidermidis, Group A Streptococcus Pyogenes, and Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

What they discovered is astonishing. The pepper juice has proven to be an effective inhibitor of bacteria within 24 hours of contact. That includes the complete inhibition of the MRSA strain, which is one of the most resistant strains known to man that kills nearly 10,000 people each year.

“I’m passionate about this because I have an opportunity to help eliminate the high amount of bacterial infections occurring in thirdworld countries,” he says.

“The juice can also be used as a preventive measure for doctors conducting missions in those areas or for soldiers who may be at war in some of these countries. They would have the juice in their bloodstream to combat any bacteria that they may happen to contract.”

By spending endless hours in the laboratory, Alex had limited opportunities to party and engage in activities commonly enjoyed by his peers. Thus, he learned the true meaning of sacrifice. “For the past several years, my summers for the most part have been spent at the microbiology labs of Leesburg Regional or the University of Florida conducting research. I’d also be in the labs during our breaks over Christmas and in the spring. Honestly, this has become like a job. Every six hours I’d go to the lab and plate the bacteria and put it in an incubator. We’d also have to make our own agar, which helps bacteria grow, and let it cool and solidify until it hardens into a Jell-Olike state.”

There’s little doubt, though, that the countless hours of hard work have been well worth it. He realizes his research may ultimately lead to a medical breakthrough sometime down the road. “Every year we have compared antibiotics to pepper juice to discover how long it takes each one to kill a bacterial infection. There have been people on antibi- otic drips from six months to several years, whereas the pepper juice eliminated the infection within 24 hours of contact. The time difference is monumental.”

Despite the encouraging results, there is still plenty of work to be done. “One of the biggest issues we are working on now is determining exactly how much pepper juice needs to be taken to inhibit the infection and also prevent it,” he says. “We are also trying to figure out at what point a person should take it if he or she already has the infection.”

The pepper juice is currently in the clinical trial phase. He hopes that with additional research and marketing, the juice will be approved by the FDA so he and fellow researchers can patent the product.

ALEX’S ADVICE FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS

“I would tell elementary school students and middle school students to stay focused. You don’t want to let yourself slip and receive borderline grades because you never know what can happen. Play your education safe and always give 100 percent, even when you don’t want to.”

Putting the squeeze on citrus disease

Like most big dreamers and doers, Alex hopes to make an impact in more than one area of life. As a senior, he decided to shift the focus of his science fair project from the medical industry to the citrus industry.

He spent several months with Dr. Eric Triplett, the chairman of the microbiology department at the University of Florida, formulating a solution to end citrus greening, a devastating multi-million dollar disease in the citrus industry. Citrus greening results from a bacterium spread by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid (pronounced “sill-id”).

Dr. Triplett and Alex, along with graduate student Jennie Fagen, hope to capture a batch of psyllids and feed them a co-diet of the antibiotic Trifolitoxin. “Essentially, we’d be using the same insect causing the disease to cure the disease,” he says. “The cost would be very minimal and it could potentially save the citrus industry millions and millions of dollars.”

A plan for today, hope for tomorrow

Despite his youth, Alex has accomplished more than some adults do in a lifetime. Still, he openly admits to being a kid at heart. He loves going to the movies with the guys and dancing at Lake Sumter Landing with his girlfriend. Recently, he and his friends pulled an all-nighter playing video games and going to WalMart at 1a.m. for ice cream.

“We were just being goofballs that night,” he says.

Yet, his adult-like undertakings have helped him reach a level of maturity beyond his years. To him, no dream is too big. After graduation, Alex plans on pursing a master’s degree in business administration and a doctorate degree in pharmacy. He hopes to continue the research he helped conduct on the effectiveness of pepper juice against bacterial infections. Ultimately, his goal is to open a chain of pharmacy stores and forever change the pharmaceutical industry’s image.

A Juggling Act

“Juggling college courses, school clubs, sports, and my research has been increasingly difficult, especially these last few years. However, it has been my drive to succeed and to prove myself that keeps me going. When I decided to get started in all these things, I had no idea how hard it would end up being, but I was raised by both my parents to never give up on anything. I always give 100 percent. I would say my passion to be the best would never allow me to slack off or give up.” on anyth would never allow millionaire, but he takes the majority of his money and uses it to teach young science students and young scientists. He is very inspiring and is the kind of person I’d like to be when I’m older. Mrs. Davis is dedicated to her job and is very knowledgeable. She has dedicated an amazing amount of time educating high school students in the field of microbiology.” he taake k s thhe y and

Those are lofty dreams for someone his age — dreams that Alex admits might be unattainable had he not been surrounded by so many supportive people. One of the most influential people in his life is his mother, Emily Keeler, a teacher at South Sumter High School.

“She has pushed me 150 percent. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. She has always been there to encourage me and she is a wonderful role model,” he says.

About My Generation

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wan that

“I want older generations to understand that we aren’t the Internet-surfing, technology-based, lazy kids you imagine us to be. We may do those things because we can, and we may even be lazy at times. However, it’s our drive and our passion that will continue to build our country and our world. I can guarantee we will see just as many accomplishments, if not more, in the near future — more than you could even imagine.”

“I want to enlarge the responsibility of pharmacists and let the public know that we do much more than simply count pills,” he says. “My goal is to specialize in educating the community on their available options and also whether a natural remedy may be more effective than traditional medicine. I want to be available to answer any questions customers may have.”

Other influential people in his life include Dr. Nelson Ying, a theoretical physicist, and Candy Davis, microbiology supervisor at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. Each year, Dr. Ying hosts a science competition at the Orlando Science Center, inviting five high school students who display exemplary work in science research. Alex recently fi nished third place at the competition. Davis worked long hours with Alex in the hospital laboratory conducting research on the pepper juice.

“Dr. Ying could be a multi-

These people have taught Alex that the price of success is hard work and dedication to the job at hand. This lesson will prove valuable as he enters a new chapter in his life. “Having passion and drive pays off,” he says. “There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.”

Certainly, those words are music to the ears of anyone who paints young kids as lazy and unmotivated. The outstanding achievements of students like Alex defy stereotypes and give us all hope for a brighter future. Without question, today’s youth are more than capable of tackling tomorrow’s challenges.

Personal Motivation

“My life accomplishments so far stem from a personal drive to prove myself to everyone. As a kid I was really doubted; I actually had a teacher tell me to drop out of school, take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), and join the military. The teacher told me that way I could actually have a job. I laugh at that now.”