Meet Frank: 2024 Scholar

Our College Scholars receive a financial scholarship to help with academic expenses, and 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.

Frank’s Story

Frank was diagnosed with Pre-B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 16 years old, during his junior year of high school.

“After I got over the initial shock of the diagnosis, and started on a treatment plan, I thought about the cost of the cancer treatment,” Frank told us. “My family is very blessed and lucky that health care expenses throughout my lengthy treatment have not been an issue. But it upsets me that the first thought in other families' minds when they receive a serious diagnosis is, ‘How will we pay for this?’”

Frank has always been passionate about politics, interning with political campaigns and taking classes on government, but his experience with cancer has helped him hone in on public health policy as a specific interest area.

“I want to help establish policies for everyone who lives in this country, to change things for the better, so that when people in the United States get sick, they can simply focus on one thing - getting better,” he said. “My faith teaches me that we are all here to take care of each other, and leukemia has driven that point home even more strongly for me and my family, and I know now what my purpose is.”

The New Jersey teen plans to study political science at The College of New Jersey after taking a gap year to focus on his health and continued recovery from treatment.

Frank’s Advocacy Project

Driven by his passion around the politics of healthcare, Frank wants to help lessen the financial burdens of families of children with cancer.

“My family is very fortunate in that health insurance has covered the bulk of costs associated with my treatment, but I also know that, for so many American families, that is not the case,” says Frank, noting that the costs go well beyond medical care, food, and household bills to also include travel to and from treatment, lost wages when parents have to take off work to be with their child in the hospital, and child care costs for siblings.

During his gap year, he’ll be exploring the most impactful ways to accomplish his goals, whether that be starting a charity of his own or working with local organizations already in existence.

“One of my long-term goals is to work in Washington DC to change policy to ensure that health care is available for all Americans, without them having to use Go Fund Me fundraisers or declare bankruptcy,” he wrote in his application.