Teen Board

Day of Hope, February 2024

At the beginning of 2019, we sent out applications searching for high school students who wanted to become involved with the Endowment by joining the inaugural Teen Board. We were excited to receive over 50 applications. After interviews and careful selection, we chose 26 teens from seven high schools.

Each year, as we say goodbye to the seniors, we continue to send out applications, conduct interviews and select new teens to sit on this board.

We started with the key goal of the teens creating peer-to-peer fundraisers and while this is still being done, in 2023 they began their signature one-day event, Day of Hope. In 2023 they raised $42,250 on this one day and $95,800 for the year. In 2024 they raised $44,539 on this day, and over $100,000 for the year!

With the 2023-2024 Teen Board, a new committee was created: the Philanthropy/Research Committee. This committee works to identify and investigate unique research efforts around the world focused on pediatric cancer research, presents their recommendations to the Teen Board, who then selects one or two organizations who are then given a $25,000 donation.

We are incredibly proud and excited that our Teen Board is now expanding our connections in the field of pediatric cancer research with organizations beyond the Indianapolis area.

Current Teen Board 2024-2025

Teen Directors

Isaac Mervis

Teen Board Director

Isaac Mervis

Teen Board Director

A current Masters of Public Affairs candidate at the Indiana University O’Neill School, Isaac brings with him a wealth of experience in the nonprofit sector from his time working as at the Strada Education Foundation and now at United Way of Central Indiana. He was first introduced to the Caroline Symmes Endowment through the efforts of his brother, Joey Mervis, and has had the privilege of directing the Teen Board and helping to harness students’ ability to make a difference for the last several years.
Lizzie Sturman

Lizzie Sturman

2024-2025 President

Executive Committee
Teen Board

Holyn Drook

Chair, Fundraising

Executive Committee
Teen Board

Tasia Osili

Chair, Philanthropy

Executive Committee
Teen Board

Annamaria Ebersole

Chair, Marketing

Executive Committee
Audrey Hamilton

Audrey Hamilton

Secretary

Executive Committee
Stella Caress

Stella Caress

Addison Davis

Addison Davis

Lorenzo DeVettori

Lorenzo DeVettori

Eleanor Dillman

Eleanor Dillman

Nour Ghoneim

Nour Ghoneim

Ismail Kheiri

Ismail Kheiri

Julie Kim

Julie Kim

Caroline Maurer

Caroline Maurer

Katy Morcos

Katy Morcos

Mercy Olaniyan

Mercy Olaniyan

Precious Olaniyan

Precious Olaniyan

Renata Ovalle

Renata Ovalle

Shifa Parkar

Shifa Parkar

Teen Board

Sophie Reed

Mia Rettig

Mia Rettig

Jack Ryan

Jack Ryan

Arushi Singal

Arushi Singal

Charlotte Sturman

Charlotte Sturman

Teen Board

Fred Wittman

Lizzie Sturman

2024-2025 President

Hi! My name is Lizzie Sturman and I'm a current senior at Park Tudor. I will be serving as this year's CSCCE Teen Board President. Outside of the Teen Board, I am the Student Body President at Park Tudor and the Vice President of Bring Change 2 Mind, a mental health club. I have also played lacrosse all four years of high school and will be this year's Park Tudor Lacrosse Captain! I am very passionate about raising money for childhood cancer because no one should have to go through cancer or witness a loved one struggle.

Holyn Drook

Chair, Fundraising

My name is Holyn Drook and I am a junior at Brebeuf Jesuit Prep School. I joined the Teen Board to be involved in the community and work together with others to create a brighter future for kids battling pediatric cancer.

Tasia Osili

Chair, Philanthropy

Hi! My name is Tasia Osili, and I am a junior at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. I am part of the lacrosse and cross-country teams, student council, and mental health club. This is my second year as a member of the CSCCE Teen Board and I am chairing the Philanthropy Committee. I wanted to be a part of the teen board to make a difference in my community and raise awareness for the underfunding of pediatric research. I am so excited for this upcoming year and am excited to make a difference!

Annamaria Ebersole

Chair, Marketing

I am Annamaria Ebersole, a junior at Park Tudor who plays tennis and golf! I have done a lot of different volunteering activities but nothing quite like this one. My second year on the teen board, I am looking forward to my role as Chair of Marketing. I like taking responsibility with how much money I am able to raise, and I look forward to continuing to make connections and relationships with the fellow board members! Thank you for this opportunity.

Audrey Hamilton

Secretary

Hi! My name is Audrey Hamilton and I'm a current senior at Brebeuf Jesuit. This is my third year on the teen board and I will be serving as this year's secretary. Outside of the Teen Board, I am the Co-Editor in Chief for the Inside Prep, founder of Business and Investment for Girls (B.I.G.) and I am also a four year varsity xc runner and captain. Being a part of the teen board is so important to me as I believe that no one should have to go through cancer or witness a loved one struggle.

Stella Caress

Hello! My name is Stella Caress, and I am a junior at Cathedral High School. I am involved in school sports such as cross country and tennis, and I am on the student council! Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. This is my first year with the CSCCE teen board, and I joined the teen board because I want to work together to help make a difference for those battling childhood cancer!

Addison Davis

Hi, my name is Addison Davis! I am a senior at Avon High School, and I’m very excited for my first year as a part of the CSCCE Teen Board! At school, I am on the girls golf team, and I am a member of HOSA, STEM Tutoring Club, National Honor Society, and AIM Freshman Mentoring! Outside of school I enjoy reading, cooking, and spending time outside. I joined the Teen Board this year to advocate for the thousands of children battling this horrible disease, and I hope to be able to make a difference in their lives. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to see what this year brings!

Lorenzo DeVettori

Hello! My name is Lorenzo DeVettori, and I am a senior at Bishop Chatard High School. Outside the teen board, I play soccer for Chatard and FC Pride. I am also apart of the Peer Tutor Club Green Team, and Student Ambassadors Program at my school. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, watching movies, and creating art. This is my first year serving on the teen board, and I am confident we will be able to make a positive difference to those around us. I am excited to work with this amazing group of individuals and spread awareness for the CSCCE.

Eleanor Dillman

Hi, my name is Eleanor and I am a senior at University High School! I am so excited to serve on the teen board of the Caroline Symmes Foundation this year. I joined the teen board because I passionately support children's cancer research. No family should have to watch a loved one fight cancer. We must raise the money and awareness needed to fund pediatric cancer research- the kids can't wait! Outside of the teen board, I am a co-president of my school's Dance Marathon and co-president of Blaze Craze (student-led school spirit club). I run varsity track and cross-country, I participate in plays and musicals put on by our theater department, and I am a member of the DECA team. When I'm not at school, I love to spend time with my friends, family, and, of course, my dogs! I am thrilled to be a part of CSCCE this year!

Nour Ghoneim

My name is Nour Ghoneim, and I am a senior at Park Tudor. I am so excited to be a part of this year's teen board! Outside of the teen board, I am involved in HOSA, WEA, the Muslim Student Union, and Model UN. I also play tennis on Park Tudor's girls tennis team. I joined the CSCCE teen board because I would love to be a part of the reason we can save the lives of so many children suffering from cancer. I love to lead and be involved in my community, and I'm so excited to see what our board can accomplish this year!

Ismail Kheiri

I am a junior at Carmel High School. Caroline Symmes’s story has shown me how cancer can take a child’s life so quickly, without warning. Even more disheartening, is that pediatric cancer research is majorly underfunded by our own government. By joining the teen board, I can extend my impact within the community and help ensure a future with new breakthroughs in pediatric cancer research.

Julie Kim

Julie is currently a senior at Avon High School and she helps lead many of the organizations at her school. She’s one of the senior class officers and a HOSA board member. Julie wants to pursue a career in healthcare due to her desire to help others and affinity towards science.

Caroline Maurer

My name is Caroline Maurer and I am a senior at Carmel High School. Outside of the teen board, I am heavily involved in my school’s Dance Marathon, where I am on the leadership team and fundraise thousands of dollars each year. I am also in a show choir at Carmel, as well as participated on the tennis team, and the Unified Cheer team during my time at high school. Even though this is only my first year on the CSCCE teen board, I was inspired to join because I love sharing my passion for helping others with teens from different high schools, and making a difference in the world!

Katy Morcos

My name is Katy Morcos, and I am a senior at University High School. This is my first year on the CSCCE Teen Board, and I am SO excited to work with people who are just as passionate as me so we can make a difference in the world. I am Co-President of my school's Dance Marathon. I love singing, cheering, baking, and anything related to raising money or spreading awareness for an amazing cause. A fun fact about me is I have ridden a camel around the Pyramids twice!

Mercy Olaniyan

Hi! My name is Mercy Olaniyan and I’m a senior at Avon High School. I am so excited to start my second year with the endowment this year! The way that everyone involved with the endowment is continually enthusiastic about passionately advocating for this worthy cause is so inspiring. I am grateful and glad to be a part of this worthy cause as well!

Precious Olaniyan

My name is Precious Olaniyan and I am a senior at Avon High School. I'm excited and honored to be part of the Caroline Symmes Children’s Cancer Endowment teen board because it allows me to contribute to a cause that directly impacts children's lives. Being part of a team dedicated to raising awareness and support for pediatric cancer research inspires me to help make a difference in the lives of young patients and their families.

Renata Ovalle

Hi! My name is Renata Ovalle, and I’m a sophomore at Westfield High School. I have done Taekwondo for seven years and I am a second degree black belt, and I also play tennis. At school, I am involved in Student Government, Peer Tutoring, HOSA, Dance Marathon, Ambassadors Club, and Robbie’s Hope Club which is a club promoting mental health. In my free time, I like to go biking with my dad, hang out with my friends, and watch new movies (My favorite one is 500 Days of Summer). A fun fact about me is that I am fluent in Spanish. This is my first year on the Teen Board, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. I am passionate about the board because every kid should be able to live a normal childhood and I hope to become a pediatric oncologist some day. I am excited for the upcoming year of being a part of this life-changing cause!

Shifa Parkar

Hello! My name is Shifa Parkar and I am a current junior at Carmel High School. This is my first year on the teen board, and I am super excited to be able to make a difference! I joined the teen board because I have a strong interest in cancer, and I believe it is something which I want to be able to make a large difference in throughout my life. Aside from the teen board, I play the trumpet and the piano, and I am involved in the Women in STEM club at my school, HOSA, and Spell Bowl! I love science and reading, and I can't wait to make a difference this year!

Sophie Reed

I am Sophie Reed and I am a senior at Brebeuf Jesuit. I enjoy swimming and hanging out with my friends in my free time. I joined the teen board as an opportunity to help raise awareness to people in the community.

Mia Rettig

Hi, I'm Mia Rettig and I'm a junior at Park Tudor School. I am honored to be a part of the CSCCE Teen Board this year and to help raise money for childhood cancer research. I am passionate about this campaign because I have seen firsthand how devastating a cancer diagnosis can be for both the patient and their family.

Jack Ryan

Jack is a junior at Bishop Chatard High School and is excited to be joining the Marketing Committee.

Arushi Singal

My name is Arushi Singal. I am a junior at Zionsville High School. I joined CSCCE for this cause because I believe no family should have to stomach the loss of their child simply because of a lack of research. I want to help fundraise to help grow the amount of research dedicated to children’s cancer and help bring awareness to what a detrimental disease pediatric cancer can be to numerous families.

Charlotte Sturman

Hi! I am Charlotte Sturman (on the left), and I am currently a junior at Park Tudor School. Outside of school, I play lacrosse, I'm involved in multiple clubs, and I am the president of the Bring Change to Mind, a mental health awareness club. I also love to bake and hang out with my friends and family. I joined the teen board because I truly love children and don't think anyone should have to go through cancer at all or alone. I am very passionate about medicine and funding research to try and cure cancer.

Fred Wittman

Hi! My name is Fred Wittman and I am a junior at Avon High School. I enjoy running for my school’s track team and leading our model UN club, but outside of school I like to just relax and hang out with my friends. I am grateful to be able to be a part of CSCCE and have the opportunity to help others; I believe we can bring awareness and hope to those who are struggling with, and everyone affected by, pediatric cancer.