Vicissitude. V-i-c-i-s-s-i-t-u-d-e.
Definition (as per Oxford English Dictionary): a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

It was one of those nights when I couldn’t sleep, my mind buzzing with all the things I wanted to say but couldn’t find the words for. Flipping through the dictionary—a pastime that I promise is far more interesting than it sounds—I stopped on this word: vicissitude. I paused, and something clicked.

If there was one word to describe me, this was it.

My life has been shaped by change, often unexpected, often painful. I had found my place, my people, and my comfort at Holy Family Parish School when my parents announced we were switching schools. I was devastated—ripped from familiarity and thrown into the unknown. Just when I thought I couldn’t endure another change, another shift came three years later: Brookfield Academy. A fresh start, but also a new challenge, arriving just as COVID-19 reshaped the world around me. 

And then, there was Mr. Homan.

He was more than a teacher—he was a mentor, a guide, and the first person in a long time who truly saw me. He believed in my potential when I struggled to believe in it myself. His classroom became a place where I wasn’t just another student; I was someone with purpose, with ideas, with a future. 

So, I made a promise—to make him proud, to do something meaningful. But life, as it so often does, had its own cruel vicissitude in store.

His death shattered me. It was sudden. Unfair. Unthinkable. That grief nearly consumed me. But I refused to let it define me. Instead, I poured it into action. Every hour, every dollar raised for LLS is a testament to him, to the impact he had, to the lessons he left behind. Loss had tried to break me, but instead, it ignited something within me. 

That’s why I began this essay with the definition of vicissitude. The word rarely carries a positive connotation, but for me, it is more than misfortune. It is transformation. It is resilience. It is proof that even the darkest moments can lead to light. That is why the definition states that vicissitude is a change that is “typically unwelcome or unpleasant”, with typically being the star word. 

And it is the word that defines me.

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.