Meet our newest official Side-Out Ambassadors! This group of students have taken the last few months to educate themselves, utilize their leadership skills, and become advocates for those living with metastatic breast cancer.
Each Side-Out Ambassador has made undeniable differences in their communities across the country. We are incredibly proud of the hard work that they have completed and know they are all stronger and more empathetic people because of it. They have become voices for the underserved and are continuing to make a difference.
Congratulations to each of you and welcome to the Ambassador community!
Anjali Mahesh
H.S. Sophomore (Dayton, NJ)
“I had a very positive experience from the program. It inspired me to get more involved in the community and brought me a deeper knowledge of breast cancer.”
Anjali brought her community together through a bake sale in her neighborhood in which proceeds went to Side-Out’s research. She successfully completed her campaign by sharing flyers with her community as well as creating posters to bring attention to the cause.
Eshal Malik
H.S. Sophomore (Centreville, VA)
“This experience has taught me so much because I have found a passion for advocating and sharing information about breast cancer.”
During her education hours, Eshal’s attention was brought to just how many cases of breast cancer there are worldwide. Because of this, she registered her Think Pink campaign to raise funds for Side-Out’s research. Going door to door in her neighborhood, posting on social media, and holding a chalk drawing competition, helped her to bring attention to the importance of metastatic breast cancer research and complete her successful fundraiser!
Hope Hoesing
H.S. Freshman (Portland, OR)
“I shared what I thought with friends, and family, and on social media. It was amazing to see how the word spread through different communities, and how people came together to support this research.”
In the future, Hope wants to research cancer and find new treatments in an oncology career. She was able to learn more about breast cancer during her education hours and has been able to make a real impact by bringing attention to the disease within her community and raising funds for research.
Nicole Ramirez
H.S. Sophomore (Oceanside, CA)
“The flexibility of the fundraiser also allowed me to further my love for clay and helped me kickstart my very own business. I enjoyed the sense of independence to put upon me, since this was a major project I pulled off entirely on my own.”
Nicole did extensive research on breast cancer’s origin and impact during her education hours, which inspired her to bring attention to the disease. Nicole utilized this opportunity to overcome her insecurity of selling her clay art and kick-started her own business, with proceeds going to Side-Out’s research. Nicole has not only taken her creativity and leadership skills to another level but has made an incredible impact on her community and in the lives of those with metastatic breast cancer.
Yashaswi Rai
H.S. Freshman (Arvada, CO)
“I realize now as someone between communities, I can be a bridge and use my knowledge from the educational hours to provide lifestyle-altering advice. As the natural progression of communication takes place, the individuals I guided will go on to educate their communities, causing a butterfly effect impact.”
During her education hours, Yashaswi learned about the devastating effects metastatic breast cancer has on both women and men. She shared her campaign with the information she learned in both an English and a Nepali version. Knowing how important it was to bring attention to the cause in a dialect that her community was accustomed to, she has made an undeniable impact for women who normally would never have had the opportunity to discuss the female anatomy or be aware of the disease.
Ambassador Scholarship Winners
Emily Burr
H.S. Senior (Shelton, NE)
“Learning about metastatic breast cancer has been very eye-opening as a female. This program has made me realize that facing your challenges can help you overcome your fears.”
Emily led a Dig Pink® event with her volleyball team to bring their community together to honor their loved ones and raise funds for metastatic breast cancer research. Through raffles, t-shirt sales, and honoring local survivors, Emily was able to put on an incredible event that her community will remember for years to come.
Emily is a 2020-21 scholarship winner.
Emily Simons
H.S. Junior (Scarsdale, NY)
“I had the opportunity to get more involved with my community, learn organization, leadership, and communication skills, and most importantly gained the knowledge of what side-out means in a non volleyball related content.”
Emily ran two successful fundraisers and focused on stage IV breast cancer patients mental health. She shared with her town and volleyball community the importance of Side-Out’s research and despite the challenges that covid-19 played, she knew that if breast cancer patients could stay positive, so could she.
Emily is a 2020-21 scholarship winner.
Kathryn Reins Marston
H.S. Senior (Mobile, AL)
“The Side-out Foundation has given me a bigger understanding of breast cancer and how it affects not just the person diagnosed but the people helping. It has also given me more of an understanding of what I would like to study in the upcoming years.”
Kathryn ran a successful Dig Pink® fundraiser while participating in the ambassador program. Giving away face masks, putting up posters, and creating flyers helped her to run her campaign. While doing this she helped bring attention to alarming statistics in breast cancer to help educate her community. Kathryn will continue to make a difference as an advocate for metastatic breast cancer patients as a Side-Out Ambassador.
Kathryn is a 2020-21 scholarship winner.
Lucy Palmer
H.S. Junior (Aldie, VA)
“I am finding myself enjoying the little things even more, and feeling copious amounts of empathy towards people and what might be occurring in their lives that I am unaware of.”
While raising money for Side-Out’s research, Lucy learned a lot about breast cancer research during the Ambassador Program. After learning more about the disease, Lucy felt determined to raise awareness and raise money. She was able to run a successful campaign and has made a noticeable impact on those living with metastatic breast cancer.
Lucy is a 2020-21 scholarship winner.
