Every student and volunteer has a reason as to why they THON — some have lost family members or loved ones, while others simply just want to see a brighter future for Four Diamonds children. Penn State senior Michael Davis, however, relates to the kids he danced for this weekend on a personal level.

Davis, a mechanical engineering major from Carlton, Maryland, has been a part of the Penn State family well before he stepped foot on campus. His older brother, who graduated from Penn State in 2022, danced at THON during his time here, giving Davis the inspiration to fill his shoes.

Shortly after starting his freshman year, while serving as a member of the Navy ROTC, Davis and his family received the devastating and shocking news that he had been diagnosed with a variation of cancer.

“I have a personal experience with cancer,” Davis shared. “I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during my first semester here at Penn State, and in the following months, I had to do chemotherapy, and then I was on a three-year maintenance chemotherapy after that. This coming week, I actually finish my maintenance chemotherapy.”

Despite having to give up some of the biggest aspects of his life due to his continuous appointments and treatments, Davis remained optimistic as he received an overwhelming amount of support and love from his family, friends, and fellow ROTC members. Although he was no longer a current member, ROTC still treated Davis as if he never left.

“Immediately after I was diagnosed with cancer, they were providing emotional and financial support for me and my family,” Davis said. “[ROTC] did a fundraiser called ‘Miles for Michael’ immediately after I was diagnosed and helped raise money. They made me feel really welcome and cared about.”

The participants of the 12-hour fundraiser were given the option to walk or run outside for as long as they wanted. Although “Miles For Michael” was a one-time event, the impact and participation meant the world to Davis.

“A lot of people showed up. It was really great to see that people were there in solidarity with me,” Davis said.

After being inspired by THON’s mission, Davis joined one of THON’s Rules and Regulations committees, which was a “big point” for him. Being a part of that community helped Davis open up about his own story, while also hearing Four Diamond family stories every meeting.

“Coming out of chemotherapy and a cancer diagnosis, I kind of found that it was hard to talk about my cancer diagnosis and how I was feeling,” Davis shared. “However, during my R&R committee meetings, I was in the position of going up and speaking about my cancer, like diagnosis and vats each week… It helped me kind of talk about my cancer diagnosis and my story and made me feel more comfortable. THON’s helped me in more ways than I ever thought it would.”

Going into his senior year, Davis started thinking about what it would be like to be a THON dancer. Luckily, he secured the spot to dance with Operation Blue and Gold (OBG), a THON org filled with ROTC members. Davis danced alongside his good friend and ROTC and OBG member, Taylor Turley.

“Because of the cancer diagnosis, I can’t be in the Navy. However, [ROTC] still allowed me to dance with them because I continued to raise money with OBG because of how they helped me with my cancer diagnosis… We raise money throughout the year, we hold various fundraisers, we do personal asks for donations, and then we have a section here at the BJC, and we get some dancers,” Davis said.

Between his committee, OBG, and his ROTC community, Davis has continued to dodge hurdles while still managing to undergo constant treatments. He didn’t let his diagnosis stop him from going about his day-to-day life, including going to his CrossFit club.

“Having this fun environment where I can go and work out, it was really a self-confidence booster for me to get back in my physical format,” Davis said.

The ability to tell his story, stay active and fit, and hear other Four Diamond stories while seeing the impact, inspires and motivates Davis.

“In a really big organization, like THON, sometimes it’s hard to see the impact that THON makes,” Davis said. “However, if you have trouble seeing the impact that THON makes, you can see the THON families that come here each weekend, and you can see the experience that I had, and that can serve as your motivation to continue to keep doing THON.”

On Tuesday, February 26, just two days after dancing at THON for 46 hours straight, Davis completed his last intravenous chemotherapy, closing two of the biggest aspects that defined his college career.

“It’s really just a full circle moment,” Davis shared. “My entire college experience has been associated with THON and my cancer diagnosis, so moving past my college experience and also moving past my chemotherapy treatment is just like a new chapter in my life… It just feels great to have these two major points in my life that are so intertwined, both ending at the same time.”