Meet Sequoia, 2020 Scholar

Our College Scholars receive a financial scholarship to help with academic expenses. Each Scholar commits to undertaking a volunteer project of their choosing related to childhood cancer advocacy, with support and mentorship from the Children's Cancer Cause team.

A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a red floral dress and sandals, sitting in a field of yellow and purple wildflowers on a sunny day with a blue sky and green trees in the background.

“People sometimes forget that pediatric oncology is not just smiling bald kids. Teens get cancer, too!” 

Sequoia, of Bulverde, Texas, was diagnosed in December of 2016 with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She was 15 years old.  

“My life was changed by one sentence: ‘You have cancer.’ 

Over the next few days, I was on a steady chemotherapy drip as my family and I met with doctors, nurses, and case workers to try and get an understanding of what our lives and my treatment would be like.” 

Sequoia was declared cancer-free in August of 2017, and she studied Global Health at Baylor University - while still receiving maintenance chemotherapy.  

A smiling woman with glasses and a headscarf sitting in a hospital bed with an IV line in her arm. She is using a laptop on her lap, and a person in a striped blanket is next to her. The background shows a pink wall and tall houseplant.

Sequoia’s Advocacy Project

Sequoia recounts feelings of awkwardness about her time as a teenager spent in a pediatric oncology ward, surrounded by activities geared toward little kids.  

For her advocacy project, Sequoia plans to help hospitals set up teen-friendly activities in a relaxed and fun environment.  

“I know firsthand how lonely being in the hospital can feel and how difficult it can be without people your age to relate to,” says Sequoia. “Life in a hospital is never fun but I believe there’s a way to make it a little easier for teenage patients through connection with others.”