“Why Stanford Fights Cancer” – our series highlighting why members from all walks of our Stanford community fight cancer, in their own words. If you would like to let us know why you want to fight cancer, fill out the form at http://bit.ly/whyifight. Today, for our inaugural post we hear from Stacy Kaufman ’12, our CAC Co-President!
Stacy Kaufman '12, Photo courtesy of the Haas Center for Public Service
A few years ago I was just beginning my Stanford education. I was involved in numerous community service clubs at my high school and I wanted to stay involved in college. With so many things going on at Stanford, I wanted to dedicate the limited free time that I had to to groups and causes that I felt most strongly about. After attending the first meeting of Colleges Against Cancer, I was drawn to the work they were doing around a disease that really affects everyone.
During my junior year of high school, my mom was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the blood. A few months later, I was introduced to Relay for Life, a 24 hour walk-a-thon in which participants celebrate and remember those who have been affected and fight back against cancer. I attended and wasn’t on a team, but I found it to be inspiring. So when I came to college, I found Colleges Against Cancer (the college division of the American Cancer Society, the same organization that sponsors Relay For Life) and got involved. We hosted cancer education, advocacy, and events for survivors throughout the school year and even our own Relay for Life on campus (one of the largest events at Stanford!). I really enjoyed being part of a group that had a deeply rooted understanding for why we were all doing what we were doing. Many students in the group had a family member affected by the disease, others had been personally affected, and some were there because this was a cause they truly believed in. It is scary to know that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime, and we all wanted to help change that.
Over the last few years I’ve become even more involved in fighting a disease that has now taken my mom’s life. I have been leading this group for a year and a half with an amazing group of students. This year I am excited to be joined by Jessie Holtzman, CAC Co-President, and Sean Valle and Angela Cesena, our Relay For Life Chairs. In addition, we have a dedicated group of about 20 other students who are involved with the subcommittees. Check out the rest of our blog to see what we have been up to and we would love to welcome you to our group!
(I will be at both the NSO Public Service Open House @ Haas Center on Saturday, September 24 from 1-3 pm and the Activities Fair in White Plaza on Friday, September 30.)
-Stacy Kaufman ’12
Stanford Colleges Against Cancer Co-President
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