Kate Steinbeck

William Henry once stated, “What is research but a blind date with knowledge.” A little over four years ago, my sister and I and a few other young professionals, driven by our desire to end cancer, asked Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on a blind date, and from my perspective it was love at first sight! Four years in, our relationship continues to grow! At our recent kickoff meeting we were able to meet with new potential young ambassadors, and share with them a bit of our history…..

In the beginning, our mission was to raise enough money to award one discovery grant ($35,000 per grant) each year to a promising young researcher. We met that goal six months into our first year, so we challenged ourselves to two grants our first year. Done!

That motivation didn’t stop. In our 2nd year we awarded two grants, in our 3rd year we awarded three grants, and currently in our 4th year, you guessed it…. we will award four grants! One of those grants will be awarded to a past recipient for ongoing research.

If you are keeping up with the math this means that since our inception, we have awarded $230,000 in the form of 7 Discovery Grants in just three years. It is also worth noting that this funding has generated additional funding of $2.4 million, a greater than 940% return! WOW! I am not a Las Vegas Handicapper, but I believe it’s safe to say the bets we have taken on these researchers have been solid picks every time and any financial advisor would tell you that we are a wise investment!!

When I look back over our accomplishments it would be easy to say those of us who have been there since the beginning could take a step back and let our new members get their feet wet in the fundraising. However, that is not the case. We must remember why it is we started this project in the first place. I was quickly reminded of why I continue this fight in March when my grandmother passed away.

When reviewing her wishes my sister and I discovered in a hand written letter that in lieu of flowers at her funeral she asked that people make donations to our Cancer fund in memory of our dad, her son, who lost his life to cancer six years ago. This was not something we had asked of her or even knew she had wanted. At 91 she wasn’t exactly getting online to check our fundraising efforts or tweeting about our success, I am actually not certain she had ever even seen our website. However, she knew how important our work is and how every dollar, no matter the amount, makes a difference. This moved us to tears, and at the same moment renewed our passion for the work we do with the Young Ambassadors.

Thanks to our grandmother, my sister and I are off to a great fundraising start this year, but because of her we are also challenging ourselves to a higher goal!

Most people are frightened of blind dates, myself included, but sometimes it works out and you find it was worth the gamble. I look forward to building a lifelong relationship between the Young Ambassadors and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the discoveries we unfold. If we can accomplish this much in just four years, imagine what we can do with a little more time and (hopefully) a lot more money!!

Melissa Skala

I’d like to talk about the psychological impact that the Young Ambassadors Discovery Grants have on the new investigators who receive them. Newly independent scientists who start their own research labs are vulnerable in the same ways that new businesses are vulnerable. We suffer from inexperience and “rookie” mistakes, a lack of resources to start-up and sustain growth, and a lack of a knowledgeable support crew. Moreover, we are vulnerable to tremendous self-doubt as we have to stand on our own for the first time.

When I first started at Vanderbilt, I had enough enthusiasm and drive to start 10 labs, but after multiple grant rejections and reviewer comments stating “this is not a terribly innovative application,” or that the work “is unlikely to have any real impact,” I questioned whether I had the creativity and intelligence to really excel as a scientist. I love this job, but perhaps I just wasn’t meant to have my own lab. The Young Ambassador’s Discovery Grant came at just the right moment for me, when I was most sure of my own failure. It provided a little hope that maybe this adventure would work out.

The Young Ambassador’s proposal was much different than a typical grant proposal. I had to pitch my idea to non-scientists in a way that convinced them that I could make a difference in the lives of their friends and family who were affected by cancer. This required me to re-think the problem, and my own proposed solution. Once I had turned the whole thing around and looked at it from a new perspective, I had crafted a much more compelling argument for my own solutions to cancer. The Young Ambassadors were convinced, and importantly, I successfully used similar arguments to secure follow-up funding from government agencies.

So in the end, the Young Ambassadors support provided a much-needed pat-on-the-back at a critical time in my career, but also forced me to re-think my research in a whole new way, which led to a more convincing argument for larger grant funding. When I presented my ideas to the Young Ambassadors, I immediately knew that these advocates expected results. They wanted to know how I could help them, their mother, or their friend battle cancer, and I had to convince them that I would use their hard-earned money wisely. I was motivated by meeting the expectations of real people who had lofty goals. I’m happy to say I’m much more comfortable in my role as an independent scientist now, and my experience with the Young Ambassadors was an important part of that scientific growth. I hope that many more scientists have the opportunity to meet the Young Ambassadors, to see how their research can really make a difference.

When I mention “the C word” (particularly on a cancer website), a natural reaction is to think of pain and suffering…hopelessness and despair. Words are powerful. They can become so loaded with latent meaning as to almost become oppressive. I can think of few more tyrannical words in use today than “Cancer.”

Cancer can be a curse (another “c word”), but only if you choose to accept that fate.

When I think of cancer, I prefer to think of wisdom and inspiration…courage and creativity. “Courage” and “Creativity.” These are my “C words” of choice when I think about cancer.

I am constantly inspired by people who have been diagnosed with cancer or have loved ones who are living with the disease. In fact, I am honored to be part of a group – the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) Young Ambassadors – who embody “Courage” and “Creativity” when faced with cancer in their lives.

I encourage you to read more about our group by perusing our redesigned website. Start with reading the Young Ambassadors profiles under “Who We Are.” I think you will be inspired by the “Courage” and resilience of my fellow Young Ambassadors. What an amazing group of volunteers dedicated to making a difference!

Then I recommend you read about the young cancer researchers at Vanderbilt the Young Ambassadors have funded – seven Discovery Grants over the last three years for a total of $230,000 – to see “Creativity” in action by these super-talented pioneers. We are so honored and proud to support the research efforts of these out-of-the-box thinkers and their bold, audacious ideas that may lead to a discovery to better diagnose and treat cancer…or, dare I say it, lead to a “Cure.”

There it is. The elephant in the room. The ultimate “C word” is “Cure.” What an aspirational and bold goal that will require continued courage and creativity to achieve!

The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Young Ambassadors are committed to finding a cure for cancer. I hope you will join us in the journey by supporting our effort.

Thank you for visiting our site. Please leave a comment and be sure to check back for updates. We intend for this site to serve as a hub of our group’s activities.

Todd Jackson

Be well,

Todd Jackson

Co-Chair, VICC Young Ambassadors