Every day and everywhere in the world, someone is fighting a battle against blood cancer. It is a turbulent time many have to endure. However, they aren’t fighting alone. In fact, they have a whole army supporting them throughout their entire treatment. 

One impactful group that forms a part of this army are the members of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), as well as the Student of the Year Program (SOY). These two organizations work hand in hand to help combat blood cancer and help patients get back on their feet. 

LLS is a huge non-profit that invests billions of dollars into groundbreaking research and treatment for blood cancers. Although this sounds incredible, they aren’t working alone. 

The Students of the Year Program gathers high school students from all over the country to incorporate themselves into smaller teams led by student candidates to help raise as much money as possible for the LLS foundation. 

“A Student candidate…. is the person who was nominated or applied for the program and is the one competing for the penultimate reward of being named Student of the Year; the ultimate reward being the knowledge that we are actively helping fund critical cancer research,” Jane Bricklin, a student candidate, explains. Jane and her co-candidate Kacey Fifliend are the leaders of their team, The Changemakers. 

Both candidates help prepare their team for a seven-week-long campaign where each member will venture out to raise money for the cause. Every team working with LLS has a set goal they aspire to meet by the end of the campaign and they are actively working to reach it. “They have worked well under the direction and continue to reach new levels of enthusiasm for the cause every day which is all I could ever ask for.” Jane elaborates on her team. 

The team members are taught communication, leadership, entrepreneurship and so many more useful skills while working with SOY and LLS. They are taught to reach out and send emails to potential donors as well as collaborating with businesses in hopes of getting a sponsorship. All these efforts are heading towards an amazing cause that encourages these students to keep networking with all kinds of people.

Jane also describes her reasoning behind joining the program and shares why she thinks others should as well. “In fact, the cardinal reason I chose to run as a SOY candidate was to repay the community that supported me through my own leukemia treatment.” she elucidates. Others like Jane have overcome or are currently fighting a battle with some form of blood cancer. Many have also witnessed the detrimental effects cancer has had on their loved ones, which is one of the main reasons why people decide to participate in these life-changing programs and foundations.  “I feel immense gratitude that this campaign provides me with a platform to let other survivors know that cancer does not define them as a person; if anything, it’s empowering,” Jane adds. 

It is not too late to help support this amazing organization and everything they stand for. “If they just want to say they contributed to life-saving research, they are always welcome to donate to campaigns like the one I’m running or just to LLS directly. On top of that, they can support community campaigns by re-posting on social media and spreading awareness to their peers.” Jane explains. 

She also mentions how current students can get involved with both organizations and become a part of their impactful community.  “However, if they want to take on a bigger role in the cancer research community, they can apply (or be nominated) to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s 2022 SOY class. Applications are always open and run on a rolling basis.” Jane illustrates. 

Jane encourages anyone with the drive and leadership skills to consider applying for next year’s class. You can visit https://www.lls.org to find out how you can donate and apply today. Anyone willing to help is always welcomed.