I try to stay positive, however, and choose to be proactive about my health. Because of those possible side-effects, I try to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. I pay more attention to what I put in my body and how I treat it, and I try to exercise and much as I can. I think often of the prayer attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

More importantly, I enjoy living. I think differently as a cancer survivor than I did before my diagnosis. I have a different mindset; I approach live with a more positive outlook. I realize that life is too short to worry; it’s a gift, and you have to treat every day like it is your last. Yet I also don’t want to make my survivorship journey alone. I’m going to make the best out of my experience, and use it to help and teach others. I believe that, as a cancer survivor, I have a duty to reach out. I try to spread my healthy habits to others, as well as provide support to those who are battling cancer, whether through fundraisers or in other ways. I hope to go to medical school after college to become a doctor.

I think most people who know me would agree that I am a positive person, working to make a difference. Whether it’s fundraising for cancer research, or simply lobbying my college for healthier food in the cafeteria I don’t think I’ll ever stop trying to make an impact or changers for the better all around me. This is what survivorship means to me. In that sense, my journey of giving back, my journey that started with cancer, will never end.