As the 12-hour dance marathon approaches, Villanova seniors involved in NOVAdance fall into a familiar rhythm: late nights during work week, long hours of planning and the eager anticipation of the big day. Now, as they prepare for their final marathon, seniors are reflecting on how NOVAdance has made its mark on them.
When senior Haley Smith arrived at Villanova, she was immediately drawn to joining the NOVAdance program Sidekicks, a group of first-year students who attend weekly meetings and hold fundraising campaigns. This soon became a defining part of her college experience, shaping her involvement over the next four years.
“I found my home at Villanova through NOVAdance,” Smith said. “Coming to college, I knew I wanted to be involved in organizations that were mission-driven and brought the school community together. In high school, I pursued various leadership roles and wanted to continue that at Villanova. The people make NOVAdance so special. All of us come together under a common goal, to fight against childhood cancer and everything we do, we do for our B+ Heroes.”
Now serving as NOVAdance’s Director of Public Relations, Smith has worn many hats within the organization. She previously served on the Morale Committee (MoCo) and as the Family Relations co-Chair. After four years of involvement, Smith touches on a common mantra of NOVAdance: her “Why,” also known as the purpose driving her NOVAdance career.
“I NOVAdance for my two grandfathers, both of whom have passed from pancreatic cancer; for Camille, a girl from my hometown currently on her 11th round of osteosarcoma chemotherapy; for Kevin O’Neill who inspired me to join this organization upon entering Villanova as a first-year student; for everyone else’s ‘Whys’ that develop each and every year, but most importantly for our B+ Heroes,” Smith said. “The B+ Foundation was unfamiliar to me before coming to Villanova but has become one of the most important aspects of my college experience.
For senior Sam Blume, it was not until senior year that she joined NOVAdance committee. Over time, NOVAdance’s message of positivity drew Blume to become more and more involved over her four years at Villanova.
“The idea of community and the collective goal of the student body to spread the B+ message was definitely what made me want to get involved with NOVAdance in some capacity, so I tried my hand at joining the Morale Committee or ‘MoCo’ and becoming an Engagement Coordinator over the next two years,” Blume said. “These experiences propelled my love for the philanthropic roots of NOVAdance, as well as the network of NOVAdancers that student leaders have built up throughout the years.”
For Blume, what stood out most was that B+ Heroes are at the heart of NOVAdance. She was moved by the belief that it is not ‘Villanova students supporting our B+ Heroes,’ but rather ‘B+ Heroes inspiring Villanova students.’
After her junior year, Blume was inspired to apply for committee and landed a role as MoCo Chair.
“Hearing the various stories and identities held by each one of our 17 B+ Heroes always reminds me that our B+ Heroes are so much more than their cancer, and their constant positivity and warmth is the reason that Villanovans are called to provide any ounce of financial and emotional support they can,” Blume said. “I have learned to hold both aspects of NOVAdance’s mission – our B+ Heroes and the people supporting our Heroes – close to my heart, which is what finally pushed me to apply for the Committee for my senior year. I continue to learn so much from our Heroes, members of MoCo and the NOVAdance committee who all bring their own unique perspectives to their work within NOVAdance, and my ‘Why NOVAdance’ continues to evolve with me.”
Reflecting on some of these meaningful moments that provoke her own “Why,” senior Meredith Sheftel looked back on meeting Chi Omega’s new B+ Hero, Julia, as a standout memory of her time on committee.
“She is the most spunky, and full-of-life six-year-old I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” Sheftel said. “Spending time with her to trick-or-treat on West Campus gave me a chance to learn more about what makes her and her family so spectacular. Even while going through active treatment and adjusting to all of the changes that cancer brings into her life, she still gets excited telling knock-knock jokes and twirling around in her Elsa costume. She was so excited to show me how much her hair had been growing back since it first fell out during treatment, and in that moment I knew that NOVAdance’s efforts are truly something special, because they make moments like that possible for patients just like Julia all over the country.”
Serving as Awareness Chair, Sheftel has been involved since her freshman year. Like Smith, she has also held a position on the committee since her sophomore year. This last marathon will be the culmination of everything Sheftel has worked so hard for for the past four years.
“As a senior, I’m most looking forward to seeing how newer students fall in love and make new connections with our mission of spreading positivity,” Sheftel said. “I think that what makes the NOVAdance community so close-knit is the fact that we are all bound together to our commitment to providing a strong support system to families that are fighting a tremendous battle. I think that, as a senior, I am going to be filled with bittersweet nostalgia during my fourth dance marathon. It makes me so proud to be a part of something that has the capacity for making immense change for families fighting childhood cancer.”
Though this is their last marathon, the legacy of these seniors’ hard work will continue long after their graduation.
