Meet 2020 Scholar Ryan

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

Meet all seven of our 2020 scholars here, and meet program alumni here.

“The most important thing I've learned is that you need to surround yourself with friends and family. You need to make sure that they don't spoil or treat you any differently. Because when you beat this horrible disease, you don't want to be known as the kid who had cancer. You just want to be known as yourself.”

Ryan’s Story

Ryan was just five years old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

The native of Sullivan, Missouri, battled through late effects of treatment from his first diagnosis and from a second surgery in the summer before eighth grade. Growing up, he was often frustrated that he had to work so much harder than his peers, in school and in sports.

“It’s been a battle to get back to ‘normal’ and struggle not to be angry about why this happened to me,” Ryan wrote in his application. “I just have to work around those things I cannot change and focus on what I can do and do it the best. I am a fighter!”

Ryan’s passion for sports motivated him to push through his challenges. His baseball coach wrote to us that Ryan “has had to overcome more in his young life than most people will in an entire lifetime. I would choose Ryan to play on my team every day of the week.”

Today, Ryan is studying Sports Management at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri.