Hi everybody! My name is Meghan Gido, and I am from Saddle River, New Jersey. I will be attending Hamilton College this fall! My parents first introduced me to ECF when I was very young, and I have always been interested in getting more involved. In 2018, I was finally given the opportunity to volunteer at the holiday party, and since then I have done my best to serve the ECF community through holding fundraisers and attending events. In 2021, I was originally accepted into the Junior Board as the Chair of the Service Committee. I have seen firsthand the positive impact that ECF has on countless children and families, and to be a part of that is simply incredible. Outside of my work with ECF, I bowl competitively and I love going to concerts! I am absolutely honored to be the Chair of ECF’s Junior Board, and I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us!

My name is Izzy! I am a junior at Middletown high school north and am the corresponding secretary of the ECF Jr. Board. At school I take 5 AP classes and I am a part of 7 clubs and 2 honor societies. I play a very active role in my school’s student government and I am not only the treasurer and social media manager, but I am the secretary for childhood cancer awareness. Through this position I have been able to connect ECF to my school through a multitude of fundraisers and events! I got involved in ECF through my mom who is an ECF social worker and she shared with me the values of ECF and it became such an important part of my life. The junior board means so much to me because it has given me an opportunity to give back to my community and help families in need.

My name is Olivia Belasco, and I am from Glen Rock, New Jersey. I am currently a Sophomore at Villanova University. I was lucky enough to run a food drive for Emmanuel Cancer Foundation in 2020 through my High School. After this drive I knew I wanted to be more involved with ECF. I applied for the ECF Junior Board in 2021 and have been serving since I was honored with my acceptance. The work Emmanuel Cancer does is extremely inspiring and I am so happy I can be a part of their journey. At Villanova I am involved in the Special Olympics and Business in Entertainment Society. I love to dance, watch TV, and try new restaurants. I am looking forward to the upcoming year and making changes with this great organization.

Hi, I’m Paige! I attend Middletown High School North and am currently a Junior. I am proud to be the recording secretary for the ECF Jr. board! I am heavily involved with my school whether it be the 5 clubs I am a part of, 4 APs, being a member of an honor society, or the athletic commitment I have within my varsity sport. I am grateful to have been introduced to such an inspiring foundation and cannot wait to continue to inspire others with our actions of giving back to the community!

My name is Reese Passuth, and I am from Clark, NJ. I first learned of the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation through family members. Through my research on ECF, I found out that it was an organization dedicated to providing financial and emotional support to children who have cancer and their families. The more I learned, the more I was truly amazed at the dedication and commitment of those who are a part of the ECF organization. I knew I had to be a part of it and I began to volunteer weekly in the Clark, NJ office. Soon I applied and was accepted into the Junior Board. I am so lucky that I am able to contribute to this cause and I can’t believe I get to work with this incredible team.

I’m Hana, and I’m currently a junior at Hunter College High School in New York City. I’m a competitive gymnast and I love trying new foods, cats, and exploring NYC! I was introduced to ECF over quarantine, and I absolutely love their mission and dedication to helping as many families as possible. I’m so excited to be a part of such a wonderful organization and I can’t wait to add on to the incredible work that ECF provides!

My name is Tony. I currently attend Brookdale Community College. I graduated from Holmdel High School, so that means I live in Holmdel. I am also an Eagle Scout. I love helping people, so the Jr board is a perfect fit for me. I am always looking to make new friends and try new things. I love family, friends, and video games.

My name is Mark Rome, and I am from Wyckoff, NJ. I am studying engineering at Bergen County Academies High School, and next year I will be attending Purdue to continue my engineering career. My first experience working with ECF was helping out at one of their local food drives, and I immediately wanted to be a part of ECF’s message and goal. I have seen firsthand how they have brightened the lives of countless kids and families and they do it all from the goodness of their hearts. I love sports, volunteering, hiking, skiing and traveling, and I am so excited to be a part of this team. I can’t wait to see all the amazing things we will do. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Hi all! My name is TJ Walsh, and I am originally from Westfield, NJ. I am currently a sophomore biochemistry major at the University of Notre Dame. I was introduced to the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation during my tenure as 2021 State Treasurer for the New Jersey Association of Student Councils. I got to meet the wonderful ECF team who was so passionate about this organization that it immediately made me want to get involved. After hearing some of the moving stories about the people helped by ECF, I wanted to do my part to support the amazing work that ECF does for pediatric cancer patients and their loved ones. I am thrilled to be on the second Jr. Board of Trustees and continue the amazing work being done!

I am currently an undergraduate student at Nova Southeastern University, preparing to study medicine. I had the privilege of meeting the team here at ECF during my tenure as a 2019 State Officer for the New Jersey Association of Student Councils. I remember interviewing ECF to be a top contender to be our state charity, and instantly feeling the passion that the team members had for the work they did. I am moved by their mission and strive to further it daily. As Student Body President of my high school, I made it my goal to promote ECF’s values to our student government, and I am so thankful our student body wanted to help in any way they could. I am honored and humbled to serve as the chair of the first-ever Jr. Board of Trustees and am looking forward to watching student leaders strive to enact change in their communities – through ECF.

My name is Olivia Browndorf and I am from West Windsor, NJ. I am studying education at Syracuse University. I heard about ECF from Rohan Patel while he was serving on the state board of the NJ Association of Student Councils and ECF was nominated as our state charity. I wanted to be a part of the Jr. Board because ECF’s message and goal has been so empowering since I first heard about it. They strive to help as many people and families as possible while always having a smile on their face–it is absolutely amazing. I love seeing my friends, my family, traveling, and throwing in any adventure I can get! I am so excited to be a part of this team, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

My name is Saniya Mandloi and I live in Princeton, NJ. I am a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University, studying at the Tepper School of Business. I learned about the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation because this organization has been the NJASC State Charity for the past two years. I wanted to join this Junior Board because I love giving back to the community and seeing how ECF can impact so many people in a positive way. In my free time, I love to hang out with my friends and family, dance, and get food! I am so excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to contribute to this organization.

I am a recent graduate from Mount Olive high school and am now studying environmental science and public policy at the University of Delaware. I met the wonderful people here at ECF through my involvement in NJASC, where I served as 2019 President. ECF was the 2019/2020 State Charity and we worked very closely with them at our conventions as well as at our leadership training conference. I was an active member in many clubs and sports in my high school and hope to be in college as well.  I wanted to be a part of this junior board because I know firsthand how difficult it can be for a family to go through a pediatric cancer diagnosis. My brother was diagnosed with cancer at 18 and our world was turned upside down. My family was lucky enough to not need the help of ECF, but I know just how hard this can be on a family. The uncertainty of the future, the unexpected trips to the hospital, and the constant cycles of chemo take a huge emotional toll on a family. My brother has been in remission for a year now, but we still feel aftershocks of his diagnosis. It is organizations like ECF that are able to take an experience like a cancer diagnosis and heal a hurting family, ease financial pressures, and extend a helping hand during a horrific time in someone’s life. Being able to help others like my community helped us and being a part of such an amazing group like ECF is why I joined this junior board.

My name is Salini Iyer and I am from Plainsboro, NJ. I am currently a student athlete studying Business Management at The College of New Jersey. I heard about ECF through my high school student government’s involvement in NJASC as it is our state charity and I loved the work that was being done through this organization. I have a close family member who has been battling cancer for many years, and I completely understand the physical and emotional toll that a cancer diagnosis can have on a family. When I heard about all the great work that this organization does to help ease the stress that families go through, it inspired me to want to be apart of the Junior board and help give back. During the summer I enjoy volunteering at the local Special Olympics summer camp, and in my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, going on runs, and doing a lot of outdoor activities. I am honored to be able to have the opportunity to serve on a board like this for such a great organization and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

My name is Arin and I am from Princeton, NJ. I plan to study economics and political science at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. In high school, I was involved in student government and I heard about ECF through other mutual friends and peers who have previously partnered with this amazing organization. Being on the Junior Board not only gives me the opportunity to build leadership skills and cultivate lasting relationships, but it also allows me to contribute to a cause that has affected many of the people I know and love. Aside from this position, I volunteer for the NJ Homefront organization and my local church. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, watching movies, running, and spending time with friends and family! Although the future is still uncertain, I hope to potentially go to law school and live in New York City.

My name is Doriana Castelforte and I am from Mullica Hill, NJ. I love playing tennis, listening to music, and hanging out with my friends. I plan to one day pursue a career in the medical field. I first heard about ECF from my school counselor and since then I have fallen in love with this organization and its mission. I am so grateful to get the opportunity to be a part of such a hardworking and passionate team. I am excited to collaborate with everyone to continue to further ECF’s mission, make a positive impact, and help as many families as possible!