Court Simmons, '18

The interdisciplinary health services major, who completed studies in December 2017, says it’s simple: “I’m not done yet.” The goal? To become a pediatric oncology nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). “The staff at CHOP are extraordinary,” says Court. “They showed me a phenomenal level of care, and I want to do that for other children.”

Doctors discovered an osteosarcoma in their left shin bone in 2012. Court underwent three months of chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor, including a total knee replacement and a titanium femur prosthesis.

Earning a full-tuition cancer survivor scholarship from the Philadelphia Eagles, Simmons joined Saint Joseph’s in the fall of 2013. In their sophomore year, Court organized the University’s first dance marathon to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and CHOP, raising $28,000 in 2016 and $20,000 this past fall, and received the 2017 Miracle Network Dance Marathon Distinguished Leadership Award. “In my four and a half years at Saint Joseph’s, I’ve done the most good in my entire life,” says Court, “and I know I couldn’t have achieved so much anywhere else.”

Court celebrated five years cancer-free (with a homemade cake) in October 2017. Today, they works as a nanny, while saving up for nursing school and perfecting their applications. A few days a week, Court visits hospice patients at Tucker House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “I celebrate every day,” says Court. “The fact that I get to do the things that I want, that I can walk, that I can feel the sun on my face — it’s all perfect.”