Meet Preston: 2022 College 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.
Preston’s Story
Preston, of Parker, Colorado, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at age five.
“This is a rare type of blood cancer that had already spread from my neck through my chest and down to my liver,” Preston said. “If I didn't receive immediate treatment, I was told I had a 5 percent chance of survival.”
He spent the next six months in and out of hospitals for surgeries and chemotherapy.
“I was forced to mature almost overnight and quickly realized that an optimistic look on life - even when the world is on fire - can make these situations bearable,” Preston said. “My mom always says that the best gifts come in ugly packaging. We didn’t see it at the time, but between the relationships I’ve formed, the people I’ve helped, and the people that have helped me, my cancer was a gift and it’s been worth it.”
Preston has volunteered extensively with a number of cancer organizations and is currently a freshman with a 4.0 GPA at Purdue University, where he is studying Nuclear Engineering.
“Childhood cancer is a devastating disease that impacts the individual, and each story of tragedy or triumph encapsulates the hope that finding a cure might bring.”
Preston’s Advocacy Proposal
For his scholarship project, Preston plans to spread awareness through music by creating a new song in honor and memory of a childhood friend, Justin, who passed away after a neuroblastoma relapse.
Justin and Preston bonded in the hospital over their shared love of Legos. “As we both got better, we joined each other at summer camps, celebrating the health we wouldn’t take for granted any longer,” Preston remembers. “I went into remission, and so did he. It was a victory over death, and we planned to live the rest of our childhoods making the most of it. But he relapsed a few years later, and his cancer just came back stronger. At age 11, he passed on.”
“I know that Justin won his battle by making the most of every minute. And I won because of the friendship I formed with him and the legacy I’m leaving in his memory,” said Preston. “My song won’t be one of defeat but of friendship and gratitude.”