Hello, my name is Jacob Gibbs and I am a senior at Farmington Central High School. Throughout high school, I developed an interest in being involved in various organizations. I am currently involved in The National FFA Organization, Band, National Honor Society, Harvest Leadership Team, Student Senate, Boy Scout Troop 129, Senior Class Officer Team, and Farmington Drama Department. With the help of these organizations, I have learned how to be a leader and how to stay organized in the process. Following graduation, I plan to attend Western Illinois University majoring in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. I am considering either double majoring in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration with an undecided foreign language, or double minoring in Homeland Security and an undecided foreign language. My senior year of college, I would like to begin Western’s Integrated Master’s Program to obtain my Master’s Degree the following year. After college, I would like to apply to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the FBI does not work out, I would like to pursue a job in another federal law enforcement agency. I am running as a 2019 Student of the Year Candidate because I am passionate about helping others. By raising money and awareness for those with Leukemia and Lymphoma I feel that I am making a difference. It is not difficult to help others. I wish more people would see that helping other people can in turn make them happy as well.

I am honored to participate as a team member for the 2019 Students of the Year program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am proud to support my candidate and am raising critical dollars in honor of a young patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from a blood cancer. Each dollar is a vote. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year. Our mission is to not only raise the most money but also to bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens.

Since the early 1960s, five-year survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. And many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are helping patients with other cancers and serious diseases. In fact, drugs first approved for blood cancers are now approved to treat patients with stomach cancers, skin cancers, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

We really are changing the face of blood cancer!

All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. They'll not only support LLS-funded research but will help provide critical information and support for patients, and support advocacy for laws to ensure patients can access the care and treatments they need.

Please visit our website often and bring friends who would also like to donate!

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you for your support!

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