A biology and health sciences major on a pre-med track from Madison, West Virginia, Emily plans to graduate in 2028 and hopes to become a pediatric hematology oncologist. Her passion for helping others is rooted in lived experience. As a childhood cancer survivor, she wants to help others going through similar experiences, and it wasn’t difficult for her to decide that Marshall would be the perfect place to prepare for that purpose.
Emily knew she wanted to stay in West Virginia for college, but her visit to Marshall sealed the decision.
“When I toured campus my senior year, I fell in love with the environment,” she said. “I already knew Marshall had strong medical and health sciences programs, and once I saw the campus and the opportunities here, I knew this was where I wanted to spend my next four years.”
Her first major milestone came quickly after applying: earning a spot as a Marshall majorette. After months of preparation and intense tryouts, hearing she made the team was unforgettable.
“I was over the moon,” she said. “It felt like all of my hard work paid off.”
One of her favorite memories followed soon after, during her first Marshall band camp.
“It felt like something out of a movie,” Emily said. “We were performing at sunset during our first full run of pregame, and it was my first real taste of Marshall. I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.”
It was an unforgettable start to her Marshall experience, a new chapter in a life already filled with challenges.
At just 10 years old, Emily was diagnosed with Biphenotypic Acute Leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. After beginning treatment in Charleston, she was transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where doctors determined she needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.
A match was eventually found — a college student from Poland. After four rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Emily eventually found herself in remission.
For years, she didn’t want to revisit that chapter of her life.
“For the longest time, I wanted nothing to do with my diagnosis,” Emily said. “But in high school, I realized I could use what happened to me to help someone else.”
That realization has helped shape Emily’s career goals and sparked her passion for advocacy.
“If I can help families understand what they’re going through and give kids hope because I’ve been there too, that means everything.”
Since arriving at Marshall, Emily has immersed herself in campus life. Emily is actively involved in student government, works as a social media ambassador, founded the campus chapter of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and spent the last year reviving Dance Thunder, a campus-wide fundraiser for the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital.
Emily attended the NMDP Volunteer Advocacy Summit in Minneapolis and later traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers about the importance of donor registry funding and awareness.
On campus, she and her team regularly recruit students to join the donor registry. The impact of her efforts has already been life changing.
“I’ve had students call me and say they’re a match for someone,” she said. “One of my sorority sisters donated. I was jumping up and down when she told me. It’s the most incredible feeling to know someone’s life might be saved.”
Emily also led the effort to revive Dance Thunder this spring, Marshall’s dance marathon benefiting children and families facing pediatric cancer. After more than a year of planning, meetings and collaboration across campus and the Huntington community, the event raised thousands of dollars and spread awareness of childhood cancer.
“Dance Thunder is more than just a dance marathon,” Emily said. “It represents something larger than any one individual. It’s unity, advocacy and action for children and families facing pediatric cancer.”
She and her team are already planning for the future, hoping to expand events, increase student involvement and grow the impact across campus and the community.
As Emily approaches the 10-year anniversary of her bone marrow transplant, the milestone feels both emotional and inspiring.
“It’s a reminder that I’m here for a reason,” she said. “There are still people searching for donors, and I want to help them find hope.”
Through leadership, advocacy and service, Emily is transforming her experience into a mission that reaches far beyond campus — proving that sometimes the most powerful purpose can grow from life’s greatest challenges.
