Meet Montana!
Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Recipient, 2013–2014
Montana at graduation, 2016
Montana’s childhood was marked by resilience. First diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at just 2 years old, and then again at 14, she faced cancer twice before she was even out of high school. Enduring cancer twice in her life led her to realize her dreams for the future.
“I realized that my calling in life is to be a nurse,” Montana shared. “I want to work with childhood cancer patients at the same hospital that treated me during both of my fights with cancer.”
Montana at age 2
For Montana, cancer didn’t define her. It motivated her. Inspired by the nurses who cared for her, she wanted to be that source of hope and comfort for others. “I want to be the reason a child smiles amidst all the frowns. When they’ve been sick all day and don’t know how they’ll make it through the night, I want to be their reassurance that everything is going to be alright.” She enrolled in college at Georgia Regents University to pursue a degree in nursing and had the support of the NCCS Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship to help offset the cost. During her time as a Beyond the Cure Ambassador, she found ways to give back further to the childhood cancer community, serving as a judge for the scholarship program since 2017.
Montana married another cancer survivor
Montana achieved her goal. After earning her nursing degree, she worked on the same inpatient hematology-oncology floor where she once received treatment. Her journey didn’t stop there. Montana married another cancer survivor, then continued her career in a pediatric outpatient surgical center before finding her way back to the hospital where she received radiation therapy. Today, she works alongside the very radiation oncologist who once treated her.
“It’s been pretty amazing to go from being a patient, to an inpatient nurse, to now a survivor nurse,” she said.
Montana loves working with children, even when it’s difficult. “Seeing any person, especially a child, have cancer is heartbreaking. But kids are incredibly resilient. They’re tiny superheroes in my eyes, and I try not to let them forget that.”
Her positivity is contagious, and her passion for nursing is clear. “For anyone thinking about nursing, I say go for it! It can be such a rewarding profession.”
“My calling may be nursing, but I think my ultimate purpose on this earth is to inspire people, and to show them that faith and hope are two things that should never be forgotten.”
If you would like to support other childhood cancer survivors in reaching their educational goals through the Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Program, click here.