Last year, Hannah Mumm and I ran for student council presidents. We were super excited about having the chance to take leadership roles in the school which we’ve both grown up in. When the election came around and we lost, we were a little deflated and upset, but still happy for our friends who are now co-presidents.

One of our campaign ideas was to have a Dance Marathon in memory of senior Payton Boylston’s Brother, Quinn. It was disappointing to not be able to create it with student council leadership as we campaigned for. Then as our senior year started, we realized that we still wanted to do something; even if we didn’t have the position we originally planned on.

Approaching Spence with the original idea of hosting a Dance Marathon was daunting. Walking into his office was one of the most intense meetings I’ve ever had; it is hard to suggest something new that hasn’t been approached before. Once we explained why we wanted to make the Dance Marathon happen and made our pitch for how a it could become a great thing for Ames High School, Spence listened and gave us the go ahead. I was stunned at first by his confidence in us. He had more faith in us then I had in myself. Spence gave us the flexibility to create the event and ever since then I have been so thankful for that little piece of trust which gave me the courage to step outside of my comfort zone.

Hannah Mumm and I have been working hard with this project all year and it’s super exciting to see it all come together. Unlike most other projects that I’ve been apart of, we’ve had to start nearly everything from scratch. ISU Dance Marathon has guided us throughout the year, along with teachers, students, and other organizations or businesses. We are so truly thankful for all of you and your support.

Recently, after attending ISU’s Dance Marathon this January, I finally realized why what we are doing is so important. Once I had heard the Boylston’s tell Quinn’s story of how Dance Marathon had impacted their lives and to then see the sheer joy of other young children hanging around and dancing with students who had given their time and money to help out, it just all clicked. These kids don’t care about what title you have; what they care about is the love and time that you put in behind the scenes.

I’m so glad that I’ve been able to put on this event with my best friend. Dance Marathon has allowed us to spend one last year working together before we head to different colleges next year. I don’t get many chances to publicly say how wonderful Hannah is, but I sincerely hope you all get the chance to experience her caring friendship like I have.

I encourage you to come to Dance Marathon this February 28th to experience the joy of giving back for yourself. Even if you can’t make it, or decide not to go, take a risk about something you care about. If you fail at trying to reach a goal, don’t get hung up in your loss, it may just lead to you to something better.