色情视频

鈥淚t has taken a lot off of their shoulders. Every day just seems a little happier and a little more manageable.鈥�

Daniel Piel鈥檚 parents hadn鈥檛 wanted him to know. He was working hard to wrap up his undergraduate anthropology course work and graduate in May after having been accepted into a master鈥檚 program at 色情视频 to study the environmental impact of humans as evidenced through archaeological records.

It was enough that COVID-19 had upended his summer plans to explore an ancient Roman site in Italy with a professor, but then Piel learned the pandemic had also caused his parents to lose their jobs. They had feared he would worry and become distracted from his studies.

But the bad news got worse: right around the end of the spring semester his dad was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. It was a lot for the Piel to process.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know if we were going to lose him. I didn鈥檛 know how long it had been going on,鈥� said Piel. 鈥淚t was soul crushing, but I had to push through it and had to stay positive.鈥�

Piel lives with his parents, as he did as an undergrad, helping out around the house and pitching in to pay the bills working as a sailing instructor at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center. He was prepared, if necessary, to put school on hold and to set aside his goal of earning a Ph.D. and becoming a college professor.

鈥淚 knew that if I were to take a year or something off I might not actually get back in again,鈥� Piel said, 鈥渁nd I was really worried about that.鈥�

Courage through cancer

Piel鈥檚 fears were well founded. 色情视频 financial aid administrators confirm that many students who place their educations on hold will frequently fail to complete their degrees.

When they learned of Piel鈥檚 circumstances, they immediately identified him as a candidate for assistance from 色情视频鈥檚 Wallace, Shatsky, Blackburn, Courage Through Cancer Fund. The fund helps students whose studies are negatively impacted by cancer either through their own diagnoses or the struggle of a loved one fighting the illness.

Since its inception at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, the fund was endowed and has raised more than $270,000.  It has helped 20 色情视频 students stay on track to graduate including, most recently, Daniel Piel.

鈥淒aniel is an outstanding student who just needed a boost to overcome some serious challenges he and his family are facing and, fortunately, we have been able to help,鈥� said Tammy Blackburn (鈥�94, 鈥�01), who is living with Stage IV breast cancer and is the director of marketing and communications for University Relations and Development. She said Piel has received support for tuition, fees, books, a laptop computer, gas cards and food cards.

鈥淚 never would have imagined that this could have happened at all,鈥� said a grateful Piel of the support he has received. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really life-changing, so I want to say thank you to everyone involved.鈥�

End-of-year campaign

A  has been established with a goal of raising $100,000 for the Wallace, Shatsky, Blackburn, Courage Through Cancer Fund. Already, .

Mark Mays (鈥�69), who provided one of the original gifts to launch the fund, has pledged to match contributions to the campaign up to $15,000. Having lost his wife, Karen, to breast cancer in 2013, Mays knows too well the obstacles faced by cancer patients and their loved ones.

鈥淚 am sensitive to some of the enormous challenges of someone with a cancer diagnosis,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey go up exponentially aside from the rigors and challenges of a regular student getting through school. It makes me feel good to be able to help.鈥�

As a cancer survivor, Sarita Flaming (鈥�91) understands the fear and uncertainty that accompany a cancer diagnosis. 鈥淵our life comes to a screeching halt,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 financial, emotional, family 鈥� it all stops.鈥�

She is sensitive to risks students like Piel face by being forced to put their studies on pause. 鈥淎llowing them to be able to stay in school with their friends learning and taking steps toward their future is important and I think it鈥檚 critical we help provide that for them,鈥� she said.

Flaming has contributed generously to the Courage Through Cancer Fund over the past year, including a gift to the end-of-year campaign. Her passion for supporting the fund inspired her in-laws, Art ('60) and Gwen Flaming, to contribute a $20,000 match gift to the campaign.

Thanks a thousand times

Piel鈥檚 father had surgery and the family is awaiting test results to determine his prognosis. He is still concerned for his dad, but Piel said the support he received from the Courage Through Cancer Student Success Fund has helped ease a tremendous burden for him and his family.

鈥淚t has taken a lot off of their shoulders,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very day just seems a little happier and a little more manageable.

鈥淢y mom wanted to say thank you a thousand times to everybody involved and so does my dad. I do, too.鈥�

To help an 色情视频 student facing a cancer crisis, .