Diya Patel is a junior at Munster High School. She is a certified research assistant intern at the University of Chicago Medicine where she aims at improving the quality of care for patients hospitalized by supporting research outcomes such as health equity, healthcare utilization, and patient physician relationships. She is also interning with Franciscan Health, where she follows up with patients and provides clerical support. During the academic school year, she runs the Distributive Education Clubs of America and holds the titles of international qualifier in buying and merchandising, district and state finalists, vice president of leadership and secretary of her school’s chapter. She is also a national qualifier for the National Speech and Debate Association and the district champion in congressional debate, as well as a state semi-finalist. Within school, she competes on her school's Science Olympiad team, where she was the team captain and achieved 1st at regionals and 2nd at state for Disease Detectives as well as 2nd for Bio-Process Lab. Through the research she has pursued and experience she has with advocacy and volunteering her time at local hospitals, she envisions that she could apply those acquired research and marketing skills to being a Student Visionaries candidate in order to help raise money for better and equitable cancer treatments. 

Visionaries look to the future—and see infinite possibility.
They challenge the status quo—and make the impossible possible.
They boldly imagine a better world – and lead the charge to create it.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was built on that same vision - of a better world - one without blood cancers.

I am a visionary; I have a vision for a world without cancer, but I need your help.

This year, I’m proud to be a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign, working to raise as much as possible for LLS’s mission.

As a global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS:

• Funds cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients
• Provides free education and support for blood cancer patients and families, including personalized, one-on-one support, assistance with identifying and enrolling in clinical trials, and more.
• Mobilizes thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care.

Please consider joining this fight by making a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. Please visit my website often and tell friends who would also like to donate!

Thanks to your support, my efforts will help ensure this generation is the last to see cancer.

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.