Throughout her life, Krista Falk has been dealing with a condition called Ulcerative Coalitis.

Doctors had to remove her colon, and she missed most of her freshman year of high school because she was in the hospital.

"Pretty much one of the things that kept me going was my love for the environment," Falk said.

Now, she's among 150 students who will spend five days at the Washington summit, learning about leadership in environmental science and conservation.

The family says a teacher nominated Krista, but until that person comes forward and admits it to her, they may never find out who it was."

In February, Krista asked history teacher Corey Davis to look over the essay she sent to George Mason University. Davis says he wasn't surprised to learn that Krista got a spot at the summit despite all the obstacles she has faced.

"She's willing to take criticism, and use that to make her assignments, her essays, that much better," Davis said.

"It probably means a lot more to us and her than it would if she hadn't had all her health issues," Krista's mother, Arla Falk, said.

Krista's feeling better now.

"We're hoping we finally got it taken care of this last hospital stay, but only time will tell," Arla Falk said.

Krista hopes what she learns at the summit is something she can share her at home, after beating the odds to get there in there in the first place.

The summit runs for five days in July. Krista will also earn a college credit for her studies in Washington. She's raising money to pay for the trip on her website. You can find it by clicking on the link below.