Orange, green, blue and yellow, these are the colors of the shirts I would wear every year at the Sharsheret fall walk in Central Park NYC as a child. I would walk with my mom and sister and so many other women and their friends and family. I would wear pink in high school on Sharsheret Pink Day, and for two years even led the way as the head of my high school Pink Day Sharsheret club. I always participated, I just never knew how this actually helped.

Fast forward, I was about to find out. This summer, I had the opportunity to be a Sharsheret intern. I was so excited! My internship was specifically for the development team and the Annual New Jersey and Long Island benefits. The experience allowed me to interact with so many different staff members and they were always so warm and encouraging of all of my questions. I connected with donors and volunteers and saw what went on behind the scenes everyday. It was empowering to see how the social workers supported the women who called Sharsheret. They were so comfortable and expressed gratitude for the conversations. The best part was being at the benefits and seeing everything come together. This internship answered the question, “what does Sharsheret do?” and also allowed me to develop my own personal connection as a young adult.

As I return to college soon, I feel fortunate that Sharsheret will continue to be a part of my life. As a sister of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, Sharsheret is one of our national philanthropies. I will be able to share with my sorority sisters about Sharsheret and share my personal experiences. I now understand how important it is for college students to learn about ways they can raise awareness about breast and ovarian cancer, learn about their family history and do things to make healthier life choices. Who knows where this experience will take me in my professional journey, but I do know that it will undoubtedly influence my choices and direction.