After making a name for herself as an actress in Netflix’s Anne with an E, Miranda McKeon was ready to go off to the University of Southern California and enjoy the full college student experience. But while most USC freshmen were adjusting to communal bathrooms and dining halls, McKeon found herself navigating a journey through stage III breast cancer. Suddenly, at just 19, McKeon was balancing chemotherapy, doctor’s appointments, and a full course load, forcing a complete shift from what she thought was the “traditional” college path.
As she navigated her diagnosis, McKeon also began documenting her personal journey online, opening up to her fans about the physical and mental realities of cancer. Her story resonated with people, turning her into a recognizable voice in women’s health advocacy. Through this, McKeon created space for the hard conversations around vulnerability, uncertainty, and the overall pressures all young women face. Her experience also brought an unexpected issue in particular into focus: the financial challenge of higher education.
While undergoing treatment, McKeon reworked her college path, choosing to take more flexible and affordable community college courses to stay on track and reduce tuition costs. This decision reshaped her perspective on college, especially as student debt is increasingly affecting millions of Gen Z students. Now a 24-year-old, cancer-free college graduate, she’s using her voice to advocate for more accessible options with Campus.edu, an online college with live classes taught by professors from top-tier universities, aiming to make higher education more affordable and attainable.
Below, Her Campus chats with McKeon about her health journey, redefining what the college experience means to her, and her advocacy for more accessible higher education.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You were diagnosed with cancer while you were just starting college. What was it like trying to balance treatment with the expectations of being a student?
It was extremely difficult. Not only was there so much happening during treatment that I had to attend to — like making appointments and literally missing time out of school — but when I would actually try and do my schoolwork, I had a lot of cognitive symptoms from chemotherapy that made it extremely difficult to complete my work. There’s something called chemo brain, or brain fog, that makes it nearly impossible to read or try and write coherent sentences. I was facing all of that while trying to get my coursework done and I ended up having to reduce my course load to make sure that I was able to pass my classes.
You’ve been very open about your experience online. What motivated you to document such a personal journey with your audience?
I felt so isolated in my own journey and I wanted to create another voice in the conversation that other young women could look up to — not only for people who have had cancer or will unfortunately go on to have cancer, but also to provide everyday inspiration for young women who maybe aren’t facing health challenges but are still feeling the weight of what it is to go through life as a young woman and all of the pressures and anxieties that growing up provides.
You started taking community college courses amid your cancer treatment. How did that experience shape the way you think about the “traditional” college experience?
It was definitely so much more affordable and opened up my eyes to what other pathways there are for a modern college experience. I definitely couldn’t have completed school on time if it were not for community college. The affordability and flexibility that it provided me came in handy for sure.
You’re working with Campus.edu to advocate for making higher education more accessible. What about Campus.edu’s approach and mission stood out to you?
I loved that they had professors from the school that I attended and other elite universities who are teaching courses and making them accessible at a lower price point. I thought that was really neat because I am someone who has seen, been taught, and has experienced the benefits of high-level education and I believe that’s something everyone should have access to. Unfortunately, that’s not the way that our system is set up at the moment, but I think Campus is creating a really cool pathway to get access to elite education.
Many students feel the pressure to attend expensive universities, even if it means taking on major debt. What advice would you give to someone trying to decide what path is right for them?
Realistically, not everyone’s life is set up where they can attend a shiny, four-year university with an insane price tag. With Campus, there’s paths to get a really incredible education and have flexibility at the same time — if you’re someone who’s working during your time in college or trying to save during your time in college. Everyone’s financial, personal, and educational goals are entirely independent and that’s a hard thing to train high schoolers on when they’re making that decision.
What helped you stay motivated during some of your more difficult moments?
Taking a deep breath and remembering we’re all on our own path. There’s no behind or ahead; that is such a myth — that you are supposed to be doing something, supposed to have a certain amount of money, supposed to be in a certain kind of relationship by a certain age. That is a lie that we are sold over and over again in society and the media. Your life is gonna look exactly like you want it to. You have the power to make those decisions to create the life that you want.
Looking ahead, what impact do you hope your advocacy will have on young people navigating college, health challenges, or financial pressures?
I hope, when life inevitably takes twists and turns, my advocacy makes those transitions and sitting in that discomfort a little bit easier — knowing that there are lots of different ways to do life and lots of paths to take. Fortunately, a lot of people in college may not experience that, but also a lot of people will too. So much stuff happens in college with families and jobs and relationships — and I hope my platform makes navigating those challenges easier and more grounded.