(Pictured above: Pause for the Cause fundraising team, Gianna Mazzoni ’27, Vittoria Gentile ’27, and Janie Cosmi ’27, at the campaigns finale with honored hero, Jordan)

Congratulations to Ellie Cusimano ’26, Amelia Flood ’26, CeCe Honeker ’26, Gianna Mazzoni ’27, Janie Cosmi ’27, Maggie Curtis ’27, Reese Nelson ’27, and Vittoria Gentile ’27, who the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) nominated as Student Visionaries of the Year (SVOY). They spent the last cold months of winter and into early spring over a seven-week period raising money for the Society and vying for the Student Visionary of the Year award —  given to the student or student team across the country that raised the most during their campaign.

Students participating in this annual challenge that takes place across the country are to be commended for their amazing leadership, passion for finding a cure for blood cancers, and involvement in the community. These young leaders raise both funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers while cultivating leadership skills that will help them in all aspects of their lives. 

The program is by application, and each student is selected based on their high school achievements, extracurricular involvement, community involvement, and personal qualities. The selection process is highly competitive, and their acceptance is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and outstanding abilities. Throughout the process, students hone skills in leadership, communication, marketing, finance, and budgets. 

Nelson’s participation was in honor of her grandfather, who passed away unexpectedly last year. “This had a huge impact on my family and made me realize how short life is,” she related. “One day, nothing is wrong, and the next, everything you love can be taken away in the blink of an eye. The pain my family and I experienced is undescribable and is something I would never want to see another family go through.”

Mazzoni participated to honor her grandmother, who passed away from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. “I’m super proud of my team, Pause for the Cause, for raising over $100,000,” she shared. “It was a great experience, and I’m so grateful I was able to take on the role of being a candidate.”

Curtis participated last year as part of a team entitled Care to Cure, co-led by two peers at Oak Knoll. She took on the co-leadership role of the team this year along with Flood. 

“It is hard to describe how rewarding the experience was for me,” Curtis explained. “I gained many important life skills while raising money for an excellent cause. One of my favorite memories was celebrating with all the team members and team leaders at the Grand Finale; coming together with many like-minded and dedicated individuals was very special.” 

Curtis was inspired to participate by her great-grandmother and namesake, who died of blood cancer before Curtis had the opportunity to meet her. “I always wished that I had the chance to meet her, and this organization brings me closer to her in a very unique way. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to carry on her legacy.” 

The Student Visionaries of the Year program is a great opportunity to support an organization that provides patients with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma access to treatment, hospitality, and guidance while funding progressive research.

Throughout the 2025 campaign, students contacted influential business leaders and led corporate engagement pitches. They also held events at local restaurants to spread awareness and raise funds. Team members also sent weekly emails to their friends and family to raise funds.

Cusimano teamed up with two students from Bernard’s High School to form the team, BC We Care, which originated five years ago in honor of her father, who has battled and beaten acute myeloid leukemia three separate times. The team has a strong legacy in the SVOY competition, winning three times over the past five years and setting a new fundraising record last year, raising over $380,000. 

“I was so excited this year to take over such a strong team and hopefully make a huge impact and leave my own legacy on the competition and team,” she explained. “After watching how well the past teams had done, we had the very ambitious goal of breaking the New Jersey record and setting our own.”

The team worked tirelessly and raised over $430,000 by the end of their campaign to become runners-up in the competition. As a legacy team, they have raised more than a million dollars over the past five years. 

“Watching my dad go through countless rounds of chemo, radiation, and three bone marrow transplants, I learned the ups and downs that this illness puts someone through and the impact that this illness leaves on not only a patient but their family as well. So while we were motivated to win a competition, the real motivation behind the hard work and dedication that pushed us through was all the survivors and their families we met throughout our journey,” she related.

For more information on the Student Visionaries of the Year campaign, visit the SVOY website.