Almost four years ago one of my students- one who was the very definition of a bright future- lost her battle with cancer. Even though she was physically in my classroom for only two weeks before I left for the remainder of the year on maternity leave, Cecilia Nguyen had a huge impact on me while she was my student. Despite the cards that life dealt her, Cecilia was an incredibly insightful and optimistic child. In eighth grade she would swing by my classroom to say hi between classes- and even as the cancer was getting worse, her smile continued getting brighter. Cecilia’s future was taken from her too early- and I truly believe that in that, America’s future lost a shining light. So in memory of Cecilia Nguyen, I am going to shave my head for childhood cancer, to hopefully give other kids going through her same struggles a chance at their future- for the future of all of us. Every 2 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer worldwide, and 1 in 5 of those in the U.S. will not survive. I refuse to accept this reality, so I’ve decided to fundraise for lifesaving research to find cures and better treatments for kids. Now I need your support! Your donation can fund research to help kids survive and thrive. Join me today and let’s #DFYchildhoodCancers together.