Six teams of 10 outstanding northern California high school students raised more than $120,000 for leukemia and lymphoma research in the first annual Students of the Year campaign.
The Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society sponsored the competition.
Megan Tsern of Los Altos High School, who lost her brother Matthew to leukemia when she was 7, was named Student of the Year for raising more than $50,000. She earned a $1,000 college scholarship for her achievement.
“I feel so blessed to have been a part of such an amazing campaign,” Tsern, a member of the Team Cancer CUREsaders, said in a press release. “Being able to donate $50,000 to this organization in my brother’s name means a lot. I’m so honored to be a part of LLS’s mission to defeat blood cancer.”
Tsern also received three other awards. The Shooting Star Award recognized her as the first student to raise $10,000. The Top Fundraiser Recognition Award was additional acknowledgement of her raising the most money for blood cancer research. She also received the Future Leader Award, which recognizes an inspirational student with strong leadership skills.
The Mission Award went to team ProCURE, composed of students from Lynbrook and Archbishop Mitty High School. The team, led by Neha Mannem, Saniya Patel, and Spoorthi Vallamkonda, earned the award for their commitment to raising awareness of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society mission.
Lexus of Stevens Creek won the Community Impact: Youth Empowerment Award, which recognizes a company’s efforts to help youngsters make a difference in the fight against cancer.
A key mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is to help researchers explore new paths to cancer treatment and cures. It is involved in almost 300 ongoing projects.
“These students are an inspiration, they embody the notion that everyone has the potential to make a difference in this world,” said Courtney Karnes, executive director of the society’s Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter. “What these [fundraising] candidates were able to achieve in seven weeks is truly amazing, and will have a tremendous impact on the lives of blood cancer patients and their families. We are humbled by their participation.”
Rook Productions Media filmed the Students of the Year Grand Finale event. You can get a glimpse of the evening here.
