Dancing in THON has been a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience. Before I begin reflecting, I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who supported me, my friends, family, DRCMs, the THON community, and most importantly, my IDC partner… my girlfriend.

Two years ago, on February 16, 2024, I experienced my first THON. I had just finished my first shift on the first-year committee and knew immediately that I wanted to be a dancer one day. I went home and even recorded a video saying how emotional it made me seeing them walk up to the BJC, and that one day I hoped I could do that.

Little did I know my dream would come true. I met the best IDC partner here at Penn State. We have been dating for two years now, and there is no one else I would have wanted to take on this physical stand for 46 hours with. She is truly my number one supporter, and having her by my side was always my sign of hope.

I got to Holuba Hall around 3:30 p.m., and that’s when all the excitement began again. I fully went into this experience with just the most eager energy. I don’t think I fully understood what I was getting myself into, but I knew what I was doing was right for me. We got our swag bags, which had a lot of cute merch, and we headed off to the BJC. I got to see some of my friends on the walk, which made it super exciting.

After we stood up, we had so much support, visit after visit, almost to the point where it got a little overwhelming. I would never change anything about this experience. The emotion and the impact it has had on me are something I will never forget and will get to talk about for the rest of my life. On that note, I believe dancing in THON has truly changed me as a person and the way I think now. This incredible opportunity is something I never want to stop talking about. The ups and downs were worth it all, and I’m here to share my story and why it’s so special to me.

What made dancing so worth it was seeing that final total of $18,841,726.53. Knowing that, that money will go toward research, supporting families, and treatment. That number represents 235 days, nearly eight months, 5,640 hours, 338,400 minutes, and more than 20 million seconds of fundraising and dedication.

I went into this thinking I was going to cry the entire time, but there are so many emotions you feel that crying did not hit me as much as I expected. As a dancer, I now want to put this message out there for future dancers: ENJOY IT. Soak in every single moment. Say yes to everything you can. You are going to get overstimulated… it is a lot. It is draining having people visit you back to back; at times, I felt like a tour guide. The support is going to mean everything to you, and you are going to need it. But if at any point you are overwhelmed, take a step back and remember why you are doing this.

As I sit here crying while writing this, the biggest thing I can say is that dancing in THON was something I worked so hard for. I would relive this weekend over and over again if I could. This community is simply the best, and I am so grateful Penn State brought me to it. It was exactly what I hoped it would be, and I am so excited for more dancers to experience it. Enjoy every single second. You get to be taken care of by amazing people and fueled by incredible food, pasta, El Jefe’s, Roots, Fiddlehead, chocolate chip cookies, and so much more. I definitely took advantage of the snack shack, especially since they offered Smartfood popcorn. I am pretty sure I had at least 20 bags throughout the weekend.

Thank you, THON, for allowing me to experience this weekend. It is something I will never forget, and there will never be enough words for how much this has impacted me. FTK Always.