The post-grad lifestyle is typically depicted as an uncharitable time, one filled with endless job hunts and soul searching. Alumnus Clayton Karels (2011), however, seemed to skip this stage in life.
After graduation last year, Karels moved to Los Angeles and dedicated himself to the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. This Sunday, he will lead the Epilepsy Foundation Malibu team at the Walk to End Epilepsy. Looking to make a difference and join an organization, Karels said he wasn’t completely sold until he found the epilepsy foundation.
“Epilepsy’s reach extends past Malibu, but our community can be a part of the movement to eradicate this condition,” Karels wrote on Malibu’s team fundraising page.
Graduation hasn’t stopped Karels from spreading awareness at Pepperdine. On Oct. 13, Karels gathered friends and Malibu locals to host a benefit event to raise money for the foundation. Currently, the Epilepsy Foundation Malibu team page shows that they are $70 from reaching their goal of $1,000 in donations.
Karels described the decision to support the foundation as an easy one rooted in his family’s recent history.
At 10 years old, Karels’ younger brother was diagnosed with the disorder at a hospital 18 hours after his first seizure.
“That seizure was one of his most tame,” Karels said. “When he was about 15 and 16 he started having grand mal seizures, which are the ones that entail violent shaking and yelling. It’s been a very hard struggle for him because he was poised to be one of the greatest basketball players in Texas. He was very talented and all of that got taken away because of both epilepsy and the medication.”
Fortunately, it’s been one year since his brother experienced his last seizure.
“Just seeing my brother’s journey with it, seeing what he has to go through and what my parents have to go through … has very, very much inspired me to be passionate about a cause like this,” Karels said. “It is inspiring to me to know that there are people out there who are actively working to improve the quality of life for families like mine and for epileptics in the United States.”
The Walk to End Epilepsy event will begin at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on Sunday. It will also be the kick-off for the Love Your Brain tour. The tour aims to raise awareness about the effects of epilepsy. It will also teach schools how to take care of epileptics. Love Your Brain plans to contribute to both awareness and bullying prevention.
“Everyone should find a cause that they are passionate about because when you’re able to give back to it, it’s an unparalleled feeling,” Karels said.
