“The life of the party” isn't a phrase you'd use to describe a patient on the third floor of the Dana-Farber Pediatric Cancer Clinic, but that's what I became. I was diagnosed at just nine years old with a rare genetic condition, Dicer-1, that causes me to grow malignant tumors on my soft tissue. Panic, pain, and heartbreak are three of the countless emotions that rushed through me. Although this was horrific news to receive, my most prevalent emotions were determination and a positive attitude. While groggy from chemotherapy or radiation, I was always cracking jokes to the doctors and staff and never wanted someone to feel bad for me, generally keeping a happy-go-lucky attitude. With my compassionate and warm spirit, I was told that I empathized well with the other teen patients, some of the older kids in the pediatric clinic. The other patients naturally gravitated to my enticing energy, being the cooler, older, and stylish five-foot-three bald girl talking about topics they would relate to, in a non-depressing way. We’d usually chat about how the aggressive treatment made us feel and the side effects we had in common, causing me to make unusual friends in interesting places. While most of us kids were under 18, the legal adult age, we felt like cancer had made us age decades and well into adulthood, physically and mentally.. The majority of us didn't feel like children anymore; the grueling treatment, new responsibilities, and frequent conversations about life or death had stripped us of our childhood safety and forced us to realize how cruel the world can truly be. While even in a mournful state, I was always cracking jokes to the doctors and staff and never wanted someone to feel bad for me, generally keeping a happy-go-lucky attitude. When I was diagnosed another two times from my original diagnosis, this hardship caused me to learn about myself and who I am. I learned that I am not a cynical person, but rather an idealist. I am always looking for the more positive side of a situation and often find myself making the best of it. My experience with cancer and living with such a chronic illness has caused me to develop a sense of empathy and become a much more caring person. With these feelings being such a huge part of who I am, I want to take that and utilize it and do as much with helping people and other patients or survivors as much as possible. With three diagnoses, all being wildly different, I find myself adaptable and ready to take on anything and everything life continues to throw my way. Looking ahead to the next four years, I want to study healthcare, specifically nursing. Stemming from my experience with chronic illness and having such kind and compassionate nurses i want to provide the same experience fro those going through what I once did.

“Creating Connection” - How have you helped bring people together, create belonging, or make your community a more inclusive place? Freshman year biology. Everyones nervous and new, except those who had been at my school since middle school. Attending a private school where the middle school was attached to the high school, I already knew my way around and had established a group of friends. I felt like I was inclined to help those who were new, so when I was sitting next to Mia Dahlman, alphabetically, I made it my mission to be friends with her and help her with the newness of the school. I started by just introducing myself and talking about the Amoeba sisters video that the teacher began to play. We learned so much about each other in that class, finding out that she lived a few short minutes away from me and played lacrosse with some of my town friends. At the end of the 90 minutes, I had invited her to eat lunch with my friends and me, and since that one fateful September day, Mia has been one of my closest friends. By introducing her to my social group, we have all become close friends, and in a few short months, we are graduating high school and moving on to college together. “Kindness in Action” - Describe a meaningful act of kindness or support you offered someone. Why was that moment important? Four years after my initial cancer diagnosis, I was diagnosed with a relapse of a Dicer-1-stemmed soft tissue tumor. This caused me to go through everything I already knew: chemotherapy, sickness, and hair loss. Now, being 14 and a freshman in high school, I was more focused on my appearance than I was at 10. I went through wig trials and lengths for weeks on end and finally found one I felt good in. A couple of months later, I came across a video on my TikTok for you page of a teenage girl who was getting sized for a wig after she had just been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. Instantly being drawn to her bright energy, and relating to also having been sized for a wig due to a cancer diagnosis a few months prior. I began scrolling through the comment section and quickly found her social media platforms. With this, I decided to reach out, offer a helping hand and a guiding voice if she ever wanted to talk. Though I did not have the same diagnosis of cancer, I also had a sarcoma-based cancer. After that initial introduction text, our friendship quickly blossomed. We were texting about side effects, emotions, and what our treatment plans were like. As I had already been through chemo, I offered helpful tips and tricks to make her feel better on treatment days and after. Having someone to relate to not only helped me, but it also helped someone else and their life. As corny as it sounds, this simple text I sent on a random Tuesday caused me to meet Ava, a fellow cancer fighter, but also now one of my closest and most personal friends.

“The life of the party” isn't a phrase you'd use to describe a patient on the third floor of the Dana-Farber Pediatric Cancer Clinic, but that's what I became. I was diagnosed at just nine years old with a rare genetic condition, Dicer-1, that causes me to grow malignant tumors on my soft tissue. I was sent into a whirlwind of emotions. Panic, pain, and heartbreak are three of the countless emotions that rushed through me. That said, I was forced to take months off from school, leaving me severely behind. both academically and socially. While most high school freshman girls were focused on what they got on a math quiz or what dress to wear to a dance, I was worried about my neutrophil count and what I'd eaten in the past forty-eight hours. I felt like I couldn't do schoolwork the same as my classmates, because of the brain fog. I was physically unable and was struggling to continue learning and attending school as a whole. With the adaptations made by my healthcare team and my own personal intrinsic motivation, I was able to conquer freshman year and catch up where needed. Things like making edits to my attitude and focusing on being happy really did help me get through the journey that was obtaining a high school degree while being a full-time cancer patient. Though it was hard, I was able to persevere and maintain an upbeat and happy vibe. With my compassionate and warm spirit, I was told that I empathized well with the other teen patients, some of the older kids in the pediatric clinic. The other patients naturally gravitated to my enticing energy, being the cooler, older, and stylish five-foot-three bald girl talking about topics they would relate to, in a non-depressing way. We’d usually chat about how the aggressive treatment made us feel and the side effects we had in common, causing me to make unusual friends in interesting places. While most of us kids were under 18, the legal adult age, we felt like cancer had made us age decades and well into adulthood, physically and mentally. After all, “kids” felt like a pseudonym for most of us. The majority of us didn't feel like children anymore; the grueling treatment, new responsibilities, and frequent conversations about life or death had stripped us of our childhood safety and forced us to realize how cruel the world can truly be. When I was diagnosed another two times from my original diagnosis, I knew how to handle it. This hardship caused me to learn about myself and who I am. I am always looking for the more positive side of a situation and often find myself making the best of it. My experience with cancer and living with such a chronic illness has caused me to develop a sense of empathy and become a much more caring person. With these feelings being such a huge part of who I am, I want to take that and utilize it and do as much with helping people and other patients or survivors as much as possible. With three diagnoses, all being wildly different, I find myself adaptable and ready to take on anything and everything life continues to throw my way. Looking ahead to the next four years, I intend to be the soul of the room, a social butterfly, and someone who changes people forever, just as I was in that cancer clinic.