We are students united to change kids’ health and change the future by raising the critical funds needed by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. We are passionate about making a difference for kids and families in our local communities.
Kids can’t wait so neither should you.
Determined to make a difference in the world, Tessa was an active member of student government and dance marathon while at CHS, even prior to her leukemia diagnosis in 2016. Her senior year she was selected as the first director of Riley development for Carmel Dance Marathon and won the prestigious ALC award for service. That year, all of the children and families that spoke at dance marathon were patients that she met during her cancer treatments at Riley Hospital.
Tessa rang the bell at Riley the week of her graduation from Carmel High School in 2019. She went on to attend Fordham University in New York. In her college application essay, she wrote about the lessons she learned from being involved in dance marathon. During college, Tessa’s love of baking and healthy eating inspired her to create a foodie Instagram account. She also loved fashion and studied it at Fordham as well as participated in Carmel’s runway for riley as a model and a chair for the event.
In her college essay for Fordham Tessa wrote:
“During my cancer treatment at Riley I met the most amazing people – doctors, nurses, friends, and strangers – that inspired me and changed my outlook on life. I would not exchange being sick for a blissful life because I grew as a person immensely.”
“People often take time for granted, “Tessa wrote.
“We are so busy with our lives that we don’t open our eyes to how other people see the world. Personal experience has taught me that we have only a given amount of time to make an impact or a change in someone’s life. We can learn so much from each other, we just have to seize the opportunity. “
We are grateful that Tessa, even prior to being a patient at Riley Hospital, chose to make an impact in the life of others through the opportunity of Carmel Dance Marathon. The impact she left is ongoing in our organization through the students who continue to participate and honor her memory. Her legacy continues to set the standard high even for those who were not lucky enough to know her.
Get The Word Out