Student of the Year 2019

In 2019, I was presented with a unique opportunity through my school. I, along with my classmate Sam, was called down to the office one day and met with strangers. These strangers were representatives from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and they wanted Sam and I to participate in a seven-week fundraising challenge. I had no experience fundraising, and zero plan, however a close family friend was battling Leukemia at the time and I really wanted to honor him and his family. Sam and I embarked on this journey, and were competing against other students throughout Maryland. We used social media, emails and phone calls, interviews with local newspapers, and fundraisers like a bake sale and a car wash to raise money. In these seven weeks, we were able to raise just over $25,000 for LLS. This earned us the title of Students of the Year, as we were able to be the winning team in all of Maryland! This experience was incredibly rewarding in so many ways. Throughout my time working with the association, I was able to meet so many families that had been affected by these diseases, which was heartbreaking and drove me to work harder in order to truly make an impact. I learned so much about time management and fundraising, and was able to get incredible hands-on experience. And luckily, my family friend was able to beat the Leukemia, and even got to attend the award banquet!