Name: Jena Dehoff

Major: Biobehavioral health
Minors: Biology, natural science, and diversity and inclusion in health and human development

Previous THON Experience:

THON 2021: Dancer Relations committee member
THON 2022: Dancer Relations committee member
THON 2023: Dancer Relations captain (dancer storage)

What made you want to apply for a director position for THON 2024?

THON has undoubtedly been the most inspiring and influential aspect of my time at Penn State. Each year I have had the opportunity to contribute towards a cure for childhood cancer, learn from motivated and talented volunteers, and create countless memories. Through my time with THON, I’ve been able to see how our efforts are truly helping our families in both big and small ways and how THON can bring together the Penn State community throughout the year, even in uncertain times.

Being involved in THON has provided me with so much passion and gratitude, and I’m excited to work to give that experience to others. I look forward to being able to collaborate with many other THON volunteers to learn more about this organization while spreading our mission, as well as continuing to innovate and build new experiences for families, dancers, and the entire THON community.

What are your responsibilities as a THON director?

As the Dancer Relations Director, my main responsibility is the safety and well-being of dancers’ physical, mental, and emotional health throughout THON Weekend and curating the overall dancer experience. I work alongside the 24 Dancer Relations Captains throughout the year to cultivate a fun, fulfilling, and memorable environment for dancers throughout the weekend. We coordinate the logistics of the dancer experience, including Dancer Registration, Dancer Storage, EMS and Athletic Training services, Mail and Package Call, College of Nursing Services, the Line Dance, and more.

What do you want to implement in your position this year that’s different or differs from years past?

Each year, we look to try new ideas out and improve practices from the past so that our mission can continue to move forward! This year, we really want to emphasize mental health resources for dancers and include more mental health-focused training with Dancer Relations committee members; specifically through providing resources to educate and prepare dancers on mental health and proper nutrition through Penn State-based resources. We are also looking to increase communication with our community and to provide education so that we can mitigate biases and misunderstandings. We are also excited about new ways for dancers to engage on the floor during the weekend!

What makes your committee so cool, fun, and/or important?

I believe that every committee is important to furthering THON’s mission and goal! For DR specifically, so many Penn State students have been involved with THON throughout their years at Penn State, and many have worked so hard for the opportunity to dance. Being able to facilitate that experience is incredibly rewarding. Dancing for 46 hours is not easy, but the Dancer Relations committee is there to support dancers in accomplishing their goals.

We spend all year preparing to handle any challenges that could arise during the weekend, and through my time on Dancer Relations, I have seen people successfully handle anything that is thrown at them. The personal connections I have seen grow between dancers and members of our committee inspire me daily, and I truly value getting to hear each individual’s motive behind standing for 46 hours. Dancer Relations committee members work hard throughout the year to be able to help any dancer, and when paired with specific dancers they strive to make THON Weekend as fun and memorable for them as it can be. Getting to help someone achieve their goal of dancing at THON Weekend is nothing less than inspirational.

What are the overall goals you hope to reach with your committee for THON 2024?

Most of my goals for Dancer Relations this year coincide with the new ideas DR is looking to implement for THON 2024. I aim to ensure that everyone who is planning on dancing is well-informed and able to easily access all the resources they need to do so. I want to expand upon our tools for preparing for THON Weekend as well as provide opportunities for different ways for dancers to engage or decompress during the weekend and to ensure that we are caring for all aspects of our dancers’ well-being. I want every DRCM to feel confident and empowered to take on THON Weekend with their committee and support their dancers!

Why do you THON?

It is truly so difficult to sum up why I THON in just a few sentences; this community never fails to inspire me, and I feel so grateful that I have had the opportunity to play a role in supporting the families at the center of our mission. I THON so that every family impacted by childhood cancer is able to feel the love and support of the THON community through every hardship they face, and so that one day every child impacted by childhood cancer is able to celebrate being cancer-free!

What’s your favorite THON memory?

My favorite THON memory was standing and working alongside my DR Captain Committee during the Final Four hours of 2023 THON Weekend. It was truly a magical time; although we were working, we took the time to stand and watch for a moment. I found myself arm in arm with strangers-turned-best-friends through the year and being able to laugh, cry, dance, and reflect on our individual experiences volunteering as well as all the accomplishments of the THON community that year. At this moment, I truly understood that everything accomplished throughout the year had been done by student volunteers who could have been doing anything else with their time, but instead chose to dedicate countless hours to our families and mission so that this organization can continue to function seamlessly.

Per Onward State tradition, if you could be any dinosaur, which one would you be and why?

Apatosaurus! This is the type of dinosaur Arlo from “The Good Dinosaur” (one of my favorite movies growing up) is!