Her Campus (HC): Give us a little background about yourself.
Megan Hays (MH): This is my senior year at FSU and I’ll be graduating with a major in psychology in Spring. I’m from Clearwater, Florida and have two sisters, one of which is in China teaching English. I’m hoping to join her next fall! My wonderful parents are enjoying their retirement in my childhood home, and have taken up beekeeping (yes, for real) as a hobby.
HC: What are some projects that you are working on?
MH: I’m currently working on two main goals right now related to the cancer community. I’ll be bike riding across America (Baltimore to Seattle) next summer with a small team to raise funds for the Ulman Cancer Foundation. I’m raising at least a dollar for every mile I ride, and it’s about a 4,000 mile ride. I’m starting to train to get my body ready for that adventure, and of course raising funds!
The other project is called Treasured Chests and it’s a community art project aimed to be a therapeutic release for participants. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last October and we learned she was going to have to have a full mastectomy and chemotherapy. Losing any body part is a traumatic experience, and we were heartbroken that our mom had to go through this. One of my sisters, probably trying to lighten the mood, suggested that my mom should print her chest with paint before her mastectomy, like how we used to print our hands when we were kids. What started off as a joke became a reality, and every family member (my dad included) printed their chests and then decorated them how we saw fit. It sounds so silly, I know, but it was honestly the most therapeutic thing we could have done as a family in that moment. And now we have unique pieces of art to remember my mom’s courage and strength through her battle with breast cancer. I decided to take this to a larger scale and started a community wide art project. I provided all of the supplies and let participants create their paintings in the privacy of their home. They could print their chest if they wanted or just paint whatever came to mind! My greatest hope in the project is that the participants could find some peace through their art. That was all I wanted. However, there have been some great side effects. The project promoted awareness and also generated funds to the Ulman Cancer Foundation. I got some great feedback from a mom and daughter who did theirs together. It became a bonding experience for them and a conversation starter about loved ones and taking care of their bodies. It truly has been a beautiful experience that I’m glad I got to share with others. The gallery will be free and open to the public for three weeks and it will be located in Oglesby Gallery right in the student union. The reception is from 6-8pm on November 6th and everyone is welcome!
HC: What do you think people need to do to better the world?
MH: I’m no expert in bettering the world, but I feel like the thing I try to work on most is empathy. Being empathetic takes me out of my own little world and allows me to be in someone else’s shoes. I feel like when my mom was diagnosed, my world stopped. The little things stopped mattering so much. When you watch someone have a mastectomy, lose all of their hair, get sick from chemo, and become a slave to doctors’ appointments but they still smile through it, then you know that your problems don’t matter. That’s exactly what my mom did. It makes me tear up just thinking about. She has the most beautiful soul and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
HC: Who are you the biggest fan of? And who is your biggest fan?
MH: My mom is my biggest fan and I am hers.
HC: One last thing, how did you get into art?
MH: I got into art when I was in first grade. I still remember making Chinese lanterns and just thinking it was so cool that I could create something beautiful. I had a really difficult semester two years ago that just catapulted me back into art. It became my therapy. It gives me some kind of fulfillment and purpose and I find it comforting to know that I can create something I deem beautiful or worthwhile. Plus it’s a great stress relief.