Scholar Stories
Our scholarship recipients are insightful and inspiring. Read their award-winning essays to learn more about them and their individual journey.
Scholarships Awarded
million awarded
childhood cancer recipients
Meet Our Scholars
Cancer has inspired me to make an impact, and I want to do so by studying cellular and molecular biology in college, and then pursuing a graduate degree in cancer research, aiming to advance science’s understanding of cancer and bring medicine closer to a cure.
Serving others will always be a part of my story and as I enter adulthood it’s exciting to watch it unfold.
Life is often unpredictable. It is easy to get caught up in wondering why something happened, but cancer taught me that its not about what you could have done to prevent it, its about what you make out of your situation.
Before my diagnosis, I was living a carefree life that was a bit self centered. Now, after this cancer journey, I have been given life lessons that many people twice my age have and never will experience. This experience has increased my faith in God and my story of hope and resilience.
Maybe I wanted to be viewed as more than the boy, but in neglecting him, I made myself less than I am with him by my side. He is my foundation. He is a survivor…He is a miraculous and unforgettable gift.
I have grown to be resilient, empathetic, and knowledgeable through my journey with cancer. I am more than capable of taking a leap of faith, and embarking on this path.
Surviving cancer has made me grateful for life’s highs-and even its lows. Simply being alive is a blessing. Survival has made me attuned to people’s hidden struggles, and I never take for granted waking up each morning.
I simply cannot imagine what my life would be like now, seeing as I’ve spent so long as a survivor…I am eternally grateful for my family, friends, peers, and teachers who have all helped to guide me through this journey
I look forward to being able to fully immerse myself in my passions, and find and create the support that keeps us thriving. Soon enough, I’ll be giving back to my community in ways I’ve dreamed about for over a decade, and I’ll know exactly who to thank.
NCCS will help me positively impact the struggling community of cancer warriors by allowing me to use my time to innovate and stay dedicated to my studies instead of working to pay for college.
Battling cancer at age 13 produced in me unusual endurance and perseverance to face physical and emotional challenges in life, a heightened enjoyment of every blessing along the way, and a drive to pursue a career in nursing.
Cancer has allowed me to help others impacted by childhood cancer through fundraising, advocacy, and volunteering, which has been the most rewarding experience of my life.
This experience has taught me to stop and smell the roses, to be an active participant instead of an observer, and to take advantage of all opportunities.
I also rediscovered an interest I had lost since my diagnosis: a passion for medicine, and the empathy needed to bring light to darkness.
The people I have met along this path have shown me what kindness, love, and generosity for others can accomplish, and as a teenager with cancer, my thoughts are now focused less upon myself and more on how I can make a difference in the lives of others.
While having cancer may not steer my career path today, the experience as a whole gifted me with a compass that guides me to be inclusive and create community wherever I go.
I survived for a purpose…I choose to stay focused on aligning my gifts of kindness, compassion, and communication with my passion for making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Survivorship to me is living your own truth. Living your life without any model, actor, or tv show telling you how to look.