Meet Intern Team Three Wish Warriors - Isabella Santos Foundation

3 Minutes with the Three Wish Warriors!

We are so excited to introduce our team, the Three Wish Warriors, and work together to accomplish some amazing things this summer! Our team name was inspired by Isabella Santos’ three wishes: Beat cancer, grow hair, and live my dreams. We have a team of 12 incredibly diverse and passionate volunteers who are dedicated to fulfilling the mission of ISF, and we thought that it would be special to incorporate Isabella’s own wishes into our team name. The “warriors” component was inspired by all pediatric cancer patients throughout the world, as we recognize and admire their strength, courage, and perseverance in their fight. The word “warrior” is one that truly embodies the bravery that our little fighters have, and also describes the passion each of our team members have in aiming to fulfill Isabella’s wishes in the lives of other pediatric cancer patients! Once a team name was established, we were able to go ahead and create a team logo that would represent our team throughout the summer! The logo symbolizes strength and bravery as seen in the figure holding the sword and shield branded with the cancer ribbon, but is also delicate and light because of the background and color scheme. We are so excited to be spending the summer working together to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. Below you can read an intro from each individual Three Wish Warrior and learn more about their own wishes!

Zoe Pudela

Hi! My name is Zoe Pudela, and I am a pre-nursing student and rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill. I am so excited to be working as a lead intern and lead team Three Wish Warriors this summer! I wish to work as a nurse and see kids diagnosed with rare cancers be cured and live long, beautiful lives! I have always been so passionate about serving my community, and have always taken a special interest in health sciences and raising awareness for our little cancer fighters! I absolutely admire the strength and perseverance our warriors have while fighting cancer, and I realized my passion is having the opportunity to support not only them, but their families as well. I personally believe in a holistic approach to providing care, and I realize that nursing is a career in which I can both practice that and make a difference.

Sarah Burton

I’m Sarah Burton, and I am a rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill, earning a psychology major, a HDFS B.A., and neuroscience minor. I wish to one day work as an Occupational Therapist, helping kids in need! I hope that I will be able to work with kids who have special needs, disabilities, and medical vulnerabilities to help them live long, happy lives!

Mengni Wang

I’m Mengni Wang, and I am a biology major and rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill! I wish for all kids to be able to fulfill their dreams. Too many people live and go without fulfilling their dreams, often leaving behind regrets. Dying young is even worse because they often never even got the chance to actually chase after their dreams. I wish for kids to be able to accomplish their young dreams when young. When they become older, they can have some more new dreams.

Tara Pavithran

I’m Tara Pavithran, and am a rising sophomore and biology major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I wish to raise awareness and support treatments for rare cancers and diseases. Diseases that affect a smaller percentage of the population often get overlooked, but treatment is just as valuable and necessary for these conditions. Especially because less people experience these conditions, it’s easy for patients to feel alone and hopeless. I read a book called “Brain on Fire” by Susannah Cahalan that details the true story of a woman who had a rare mental illness that completely altered her personality and the way her mind worked, and one of the biggest things she talks about is feeling like no one understands. Although rare cancers are uncommon, research and funding for treatment can be the defining factor in the quality of life for some patients.

Jack Runkel

I’m Jack Runkel, and I am a rising senior at the University of St. Andrews! I wish to creatively write for television/movies, which can help people smile. I love writing and I’ve always been fascinated with cinema and television, and have always wanted to become more involved.

Morgan Boonshaft

My name is Morgan Boonshaft, and I am a rising freshman at Providence Day School. I wish that there was a treatment for all of the rare cancers. I want children who are diagnosed with these rare and horrible cancers to be able to experience life like a normal child and not have to worry or think about their cancer. A treatment that 100% worked to cure these cancers would change the life of every single one of the children who are diagnosed.

Emily Igboekwe

My name is Emily Igboekwe, and I am a rising senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School! I wish to become a neonatologist when I am older. Ever since I was young I have always wanted to become some type of doctor. I just love helping children of all ages, so decided that I wanted to specialize in children/babies.

Sydney Ehinger

My name is Sydney Ehinger, and I am a UNC Chapel Hill graduate and future graduate student at UGA. I wish to become a child life specialist to support hospitalized children! I’ve been passionate about supporting pediatric cancer patients and their siblings after working with these warriors throughout my undergraduate career. I found my passion providing psychosocial support for patients, siblings, and their families semi-recently and ever since I knew child life is where I belonged. These kids deserve the chance to play and “just be a kid.” I know becoming a CCLS is how I can best serve this community!

Jordan Young

My name is Jordan Young, and I am a pre-nursing student and rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill! I wish to put a smile on the face of those affected by pediatric cancers by raising money to find a cure! I hate to see young children going through the pain and suffering that pediatric cancers bring. I want to do everything I can to lessen their burdens.

Riley Peterken

My name is Riley Peterken, and I am a rising sophomore majoring in biology at UNC Chapel Hill! I wish to one day become a Pediatric Emergency Physician or Pediatric Oncologist! This is my wish because patients with cancer at any age go through so much hardship because of their illness. I feel like this is especially true of children who are dealing with this illness at a time when they should be able to have a normal childhood. One of my best friends lost her mom to cancer and her story really influenced me. I was able to see that cancer had taken away the mother of one of the most genuine and kind people I have ever met, and I want to do everything I can to fight against it. I do not want other families to have to go through the pain and suffering of losing a loved one to cancer like my friend did.

Gracie Pudela

My name is Gracie Pudela, and I am a rising junior at Cuthbertson High School! I wish that there will be a definite treatment/cure for all kids’ cancers. Cancer is the leading death for children and for there to be one reliable treatment that will definitely work, would save so many children’s lives.

Kylie Riedl

Crystal Fu

I’m Crystal Fu, and I am a rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill studying statistics with a minor in economics! I wish to support kids with cancer and see the smile on their faces. I always love kids and think their smile is the purest thing in this world. Thus, I wish I can fully use my ability to support and help them and make their smile last forever.

While we may all be from different places, at different schools, and in different grades, we all still have one overarching wish: to help inspiring little warriors like Isabella. We are so excited to see what this summer brings and can’t wait to help make Isabella’s wishes come true! We hope that you consider supporting us in our journey to make some big things happen this summer!

#threewishwarriors