I went to my first ACS event over 18 years ago when I tagged along with my mom. Being only ~5 years old, I didn’t realize the impact Relay For Life and ACS would have on my life. I enjoyed going to Relay so much that I went year after year and would ask my mom to go to Relay meetings with her, making her drive 45 minutes to pick me up from home and 45 more minutes to go back to the meeting. Eventually, in middle school, I took over as team captain for my mom’s team, becoming the youngest TC in the area. When my mom and I moved to a Relay closer to home when I was in high school, we both joined the committee, and I became more involved than ever before. At this point, Relay and ACS kicked my passion for oncology into high gear and showed me my goal to eventually fight the disease as a career. When going to college, I wanted to continue my involvement and joined Colleges Against Cancer (now ACS On Campus). I applied and was selected to be on the Regional Campus Leadership Team my freshman year, and I then applied and was selected for the Website Chair position for the National Campus & Youth Engagement Team my sophomore year. I was then chosen as the Co-Lead for the NCYET during the 2020-2021 year. I learned a lot about being a leader during the pandemic and what it means to volunteer for a non-profit that provides life saving resources. I am currently the Global Capacity Co-Lead for the NCYET, working to push ACS' global initiatives further into the campus realm. Throughout my ACS journey, a core reason for why I fight stuck; however, for the countless friends and family who have been diagnosed and passed away from the disease. Nine of my own family members have been diagnosed, and one of my mom’s first cousins recently passed away after battling for 2.5 years. These people are what motivate me to continue the fight, in honor and in memory of the pain they went through, of the endurance they exhibited, and of the faith they kept throughout their journey.
Join me in the fight to end the suffering from cancer!
