5 Ways High School Students Are Fighting Blood Cancers Through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionaries Of The Year Program

Learn how students in this philanthropic leadership development program are helping to make the world a better place.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers. Its mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Every year, LLS runs a philanthropic leadership development program for exemplary high school students.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

For seven weeks, students raise crucial funds for the LLS mission while also gaining important skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Participants can join as individuals or as co-candidates in groups of 2 or 3, and the students who raise the most money in their communities earn the impressive title of Student Visionaries of the Year.

This year, Team Chipping Away at Cancer earned the coveted title of National Student Visionaries of the Year.

Team Chipping Away at Cancer. (From left to right) Mary Stewart Efird, Danny Horgan, and Evan Coverdale / Via The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Made up of co-candidates Mary Stewart Efird, Danny Horgan, and Evan Coverdale, this team set a *national fundraising record* by raising over $1 million for LLS and their fight against blood cancer! The team has a personal connection to blood cancer, which is what inspired them to take action. Mary Stewart's cousin was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and Danny Horgan's grandfather, whom he is named after, also fought blood cancer.

Evan said that they're "honored to break a new fundraising record, and knowing the funds [they] raised are going directly to helping patients survive and thrive is what's most rewarding."

Team Chipping Away at Cancer did an amazing job this year, but all the student participants are doing important work.

More than 1,000 teams across the country raised an unbelievable $40 million. Check out the list below to learn more about the ways these students are changing the world together!

1. Raising incredibly important funds for LLS's three mission pillars: research, policy & advocacy, and patient education & support.

Nicole Ench // BuzzFeed

At the start of the program, each team picks one of these mission pillars to represent and to bring awareness to throughout their campaign. This is a crucial aspect of the program because these three mission pillars make up the very core of what LLS does.

LLS has done tremendous work in all three  areas. The organization has invested $1.6B in groundbreaking, life-saving research over the last 70+ years, while also providing free educational resources, programs, and support services for patients and their families. LLS also has a network of over 30,000 active online volunteer advocates fighting for laws that grant equal access to treatments and care.

2. Pitching and securing sponsorships from major corporations, including Fortune 500 companies.

Team Change Cancer's Course. (From left to right) Alyssa Xu and Becky Luo / Via The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

One team that really leaned into sponsorships during the 2023 program was National Runner-Up team Change Cancer's Course, led by co-candidates Alyssa Xu and Becky Luo. From the very start, this team focused on securing as many sponsorships as they could. They met with every business connection they knew and wrote personal letters and emails to every sponsor. And their hard work paid off! Becky and Alyssa raised a whopping $512,000, which is nearly double last year’s record-breaking team in the Los Angeles region.

3. Growing support for LLS by sharing its mission with their communities.

Nicole Ench // BuzzFeed

All Student Visionaries of the Year participants rallied their networks, not only to raise important funds, but also to introduce LLS and its mission to their wider communities. The more people who become invested in helping to end blood cancers, the closer the world gets to making it a reality! 

4. Proving that the next generation is just as dedicated to ending blood cancers, which helps bring hope to those affected by the disease.

Candidates attending a fundraising workshop to prepare for their upcoming campaign. / Via The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

These students not only fundraise for a full seven weeks, but they also spend hours preparing in advance, so they can be as effective as possible when the fundraising starts. With the help of their dedicated LLS staff partner, they strategize how they'll fundraise, host workshops, attend goal-planning meetings, write letters to prospective donors, and more. This prep work is just another way that these high school students are proving how dedicated their generation is.

5. Believing in a world without blood cancers and sharing that vision with others.

Candidates celebrating 'signing day,' officially committing to participate in the campaign and choosing their mission pillar. / Via The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

These students are looking to the future and seeing the possibility of a better world. They not only believe in real change, but they're also taking initiative to make it happen. It's that type of hope and determination that will change the world for the better. And with the help of these high school students across the country, LLS's impact is stronger than ever before. 

Anyone could be the next Student Visionary of the Year! If you or a student you know is ready to stand up and stand out, learn about how to apply at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can also nominate a student you think would be an excellent candidate here.

Learn more about Student Visionaries of the Year and how students can apply through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And be sure to check out the amazing stories of Team Chipping Away At Cancer and Team Change Cancer's Course too!