Freshman Minha Botello spent this year taking up the cause against blood cancer, becoming a source of inspiration for those around her. Throughout her Courage for a Cure campaign, she has displayed an excellent example of Latin’s belief in service and what it means to be an active supporter of important causes.
To continue the fight against blood cancer, Minha began a campaign to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, lasting from January 25 to March 15. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a well-known foundation that focuses specifically on bettering the lives of people suffering from blood cancer through philanthropic initiatives. They strive to find a cure and ensure that people have access to affordable and quality care.
When Minha’s Roman2Roman mentor asked if she would like to be a candidate for the Student Visionaries of the Year (SVOY) program, she felt encouraged to join the LLS mission.
Since LLS prides itself on reaching goals that many think unattainable, such as aiming to save one million years of life by 2040, Minha immediately rose to the task and connected deeply to the cause. She set her own goal of raising $25,000 with donations from those around her.
When Minha considered who to dedicate her efforts to, she said, “My mind immediately went to my grandma. This past year, she has been dealing with cancer, and I knew I would want to do this to help others who are in her same position.”
While researching, Minha found that around 25,000 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. Even more shocking, every three minutes, someone around the world is diagnosed with blood cancer. Further research projects that in 2024, leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma are expected to have caused an estimated 57,260 deaths in the U.S. alone.
These statistics led LLS to develop three pillars for SVOY candidates to ground their life-saving work in, including Research, Patient Education, and Support.
Minha said, “I really like how they have these pillars to motivate the student to focus on a specific goal.”
Minah chose to focus on the research pillar of her campaign. “Research can make a huge difference in someone’s battle with cancer, and life-saving treatments should be available to all,” Minha said. “There needs to be enough funding for that to be possible.”
Minha’s Courage for a Cure teammate, freshman Neena Uppalapati, agreed. “My grandma had cancer, and she was able to overcome her treatment smoothly and swiftly,” Neena said. “I would like the same for other cancer patients, and research into treatment options is one way to aid that goal.”
However, creating a fundraising campaign posed some challenges. “I had to learn that sometimes people wouldn’t respond, or just say no,” Minha said. “I was also kind of uncomfortable asking people older than me for money.”
All these fears contributed to her hesitation to join. “I wasn’t quite sure if I would be able to handle hours of work every week, on top of all of my sports and homework,” Minha said.
Minha is not the only one who has felt this way. “I have thought about [creating a fundraiser] in the past, and I guess the idea just felt overwhelming and scary,” Neena said. “It's a big step forward to something that other people might consider dumb.”
Despite her hesitation, Minha learned over the campaign period that the most important aspect in a successful campaign is to be clear and passionate about her efforts. “Once I told everyone what the purpose of my efforts were, they were all enthusiastic to donate,” Minha said. “Knowing that people cared really lifted my spirits and motivated me to reach out to more and more people.”
With the support of those around her, she continued. “At the end of the day, I can say this is one of the best experiences I have been a part of, because I know that what I did is making a difference,” Minha said.
Latin’s Director of Student Life Tim Cronister agreed, noting how, beyond the feeling of making a difference, fundraising develops life skills. “I think you learn a lot about yourself with empathy,” he said. “When I think about the opportunities that a lot of Latin kids have, with access to a great school like this, I know you guys are gonna be the shakers of the world.”
Minha embodied this idea with her campaign. With her Courage for a Cure team, Minha raised a total of $26,690 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, surpassing her original goal.
Minha shared advice for anyone considering a similar path. “Take risks and try something, even if you’re not sure how it will work out,” she said.
Minha repeatedly corroborates that trust and passion for the cause will be the root of a successful and impactful campaign. “When people see students taking action, they feel more inspired and incentivized to do something themselves,” Minha said.
Even for those who remain hesitant about their power to make change in the world, many realize that achieving a solution is not the only reason to be involved.
Mr. Cronister said, “I might not be able to stop homelessness in Chicago, these kids might not, but we can have an impact, so I think it's that human touch and that empathy that's really important.”
