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Two Juniors Raise Money for Cancer Research
Students of the Year
Two juniors raise money for cancer research and earn coveted title
When SAS student Rico Beuerlein ‘22 first heard about the Student
of the Year program through Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), he wasn’t quite sure what he was signing up for. But after the year-long effort with his partner and fellow Student of the Year candidate, David Greskovich ‘22, they and their teammates raised nearly $200,000 for leukemia and lymphoma research, earned the Students of the Year title, and learned more than they could have ever imagined.
Team Picture: Back Row L to R: Mr. Booth, James Jackson, Rico Beuerlein, David Greskovich, Cole De Giacomo, Ben Ingram-Eiser Front Row L to R: Lindsay Kayser, Annie Goldman,Caroline Anderson, Parker Short, Arman Rokhsaz. Missing from photo: Kendall Hall
SAS Juniors Raise Nearly $200K For Leukemia and Lymphoma Research
Rico found out about the program, in which nominated high school students across the country spend six to eight weeks fundraising in honor of a local patient battling blood cancer, via a family friend, and Rico quickly asked David if he’d like to be his teammate. They began working on their campaign just as COVID-19 was forcing quarantines across the globe in the spring of 2020, and after a short hiatus during the summer, got to work in earnest when they returned to school in the fall. Their first step was to recruit a team of students who were hardworking, focused, and could help them reach their goals. They found ten SAS students for their team—all classmates from the Class of 2022—and quickly began setting up meetings with potential sponsors, generating ideas for networking, and laying the groundwork to bring in as many donations as possible as soon as the sevenweek fundraising period started.
When asked about what they learned in the process, they both noted that communication skills and organization were some of the most valuable skills they developed and honed. This process forced them to put systems in place to be as efficient as they could be, and work through trial and error to find the best ways to communicate. Rico noted the importance of staying on top of his email inbox and how much more difficult that was than he’d ever realized (we can all relate, Rico!). Communication had to be planned and organized both within their team and when reaching out to potential donors. Creating clear processes and time management were both something they learned a lot about throughout, while balancing their school work, other responsibilities, and the countless hours they spent working on their campaign.
Their hard work paid off; they reached their original goal of $50,000 early in the fundraising period, and extended their goal only a couple weeks into fundraising. They ultimately ended up needing to extend their goal five more times, and surprised even themselves with their total of $188,498 raised in only seven weeks. They quickly realized that time, dedication and perseverance were going to be their keys to success, with Rico noting that “it’s kind of cliche, but you’ll only get out of it what you put into it.” During a year where in-person events and face-to-face meetings weren’t an option, they had to be focused, organized, and dedicated to get where they wanted to be. St. Andrew’s is incredibly proud of the commitment Rico and David, as well as their ten teammates made to this difficult yet rewarding process.
There is no doubt the skills they developed will prove valuable to them throughout their lives. But by far the most rewarding part of the process for both Rico and David was knowing they were able to help so many people with the money they raised. “Winning is obviously great, but seeing the effect [we’ve made] on the people who have been affected by blood cancer and their
With their fundraising initiative, Rico and David raised awareness for blood cancers like leukemia, the most common form of cancer in children and teens.
gratitude was pretty special,” David said.
Early on, one person in particular had become a focal point of their campaign. Mr. Booth, an Upper School math teacher of 12 years, has a son named TJ who had recently been diagnosed with lymphoma. When David and Rico learned this, they immediately decided to run the campaign in TJ's honor.
The 29 teams in the Central Texas chapter raised a total of $973,382 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with Rico and David’s team accounting for 19.3% of the total, and earning them the Students of the Year title. With this honor also comes college scholarships, as well as the opportunity to attend a cancer research symposium in New York City later this year.
When reflecting back on their campaign and the year of work they put in, David and Rico are humbled and grateful for all they’ve learned and those they’ve been able to help. The experience has given them a taste of how rewarding volunteering and helping others can be and they both plan to explore other ways they can help moving forward. As they move into their senior year at St. Andrew’s, we are so proud and grateful to have such outstanding members of our beloved community. Congratulations, Rico and David!
“Winning is obviously great, but seeing the effect [we’ve made] on the people who have been affected by blood cancer and their gratitude was pretty special.” David Greskovich
