Three Years at Stupid Cancer
Today, January 13th, marks my three-year-anniversary as a staff member at Stupid Cancer, and what a three years it has been!
I came to Stupid Cancer not knowing much about the young adult cancer community. Despite my initial lack of knowledge, Stupid Cancer’s mission spoke volumes to me as the child (and occasional caregiver) of a parent who faced traumatic/chronic illness. Discovering that there are resources and support for young adults and their friends/family was an eye-opening experience for me, and I wanted/needed to be a part of it.
Starting out as an administrative assistant, I was eager to learn all I could about the nonprofit world and the community Stupid Cancer served. Over time and after witnessing the evolution and impact of programs like OMG! Cancer Summits and meetups, I became wholly invested in the Stupid Cancer programs.
Fast forward to today and I am proud to be a part of the program team working to ensure that Stupid Cancer’s programs meet the needs of the young adult cancer community. I have the pleasure of assisting volunteers organize local meetups, co-producing the Stupid Cancer show, and seeing the regional and national programs come together. One of my favorite things about being a part of the program team is being a part of the magic that is CancerCon.
CancerCon is an incredible opportunity to meet and engage with the Stupid Cancer Community on an entirely different level. A community that is truly one of the most welcoming and accepting groups I have ever had the pleasure to not only witness, but be a part of. Seeing 600+ attendees come together to make one unstoppable collective voice for the young adult cancer movement is an amazing experience.
The last few years I have had the opportunity to facilitate the first-timer orientation sessions, as well as get to meet and know first time attendees before CancerCon officially kicks off. Working with the first timers is a highlight of the weekend. For many first timers CancerCon is the first time they might meet someone who was diagnosed at their age, and seeing those connections happen in real time is awe inspiring. Watching the first timers as they go through a life changing weekend and become part of the community is a privilege.
As I look forward, I am excited to be a part of the expansion of programing for caregivers. As someone who has been a young adult caregiver (under different circumstances), I am passionate about finding ways to meet the needs of this subsect of the community to ensure that there is support for everyone directly affected by young adult cancer.
Being a part of Stupid Cancer continues to amaze me. I have been welcomed in as a part of a community that has fundamentally changed my perspective, constantly challenges me to be the best version of myself, pushes me to be a voice for change, and encourages me to get busy living and advocate for others to do the same.
