This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OSU chapter.
Last month, Her Campus joined many others to raise money and support pediatric cancer through BuckeyeThon. This week, Her Campus had the opportunity to interview the president of this wonderful organization, Vick Chhabria! While the main event has passed, there are still many other wonderful ways and opportunities to get involved with BuckeyeThon. Read on to see how and to get to know one of the organization’s familiar faces!
Name: Vick Chhabria
Year: Graduating Senior
Major: Electrical Engineering and Entrepreneurship
Hometown: Powell, OH
HC: What made you want to be apart of BuckeyeThon? How has it affected you?
VC: When I was in high school I met a few classmates whose siblings were diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer. I was really inspired by the strength and tenacity of the families who were battling these diseases and wanted to do something about it. I lead our school’s service club at the time so I rallied our team behind the idea of planning a Dance Marathon to raise funds for our local children’s hospital. My friend Alexis Dunning, Erin Pfiefer, Rachel Nash, Maria Espinosa, Sarah Drosos, Reed Slinger, and a few others worked really heard through throughout the year to put on an event that brought our entire school together. That year we raised over $17,000 for the kids. When I came to college I wanted to continue to support the cause so I immediately got involved with BuckeyeThon!
HC: How do you and the rest of the members of the BuckeyeThon committee get ready for such a huge event?
VC: BuckeyeThon is a year long philanthropy that puts on much more than just a Dance Marathon. We are made up of a 160 general body members who each have a different role in supporting of the growth of our organization. Some members focus on planning the logistics for the Dance Marathon, some focus on engaging students our campus, some work with corporate sponsors, the highs school students that we mentor, and even some work on our financial operations and data analytics. Each person in our organization puts time in throughout the year to make BuckeyeThon possible. The team lives their year with passion and incredible amount of hard work.
HC: What do you love most about BuckeyeThon?
VC: There are many things that I love about BuckeyeThon. I think the piece that I am most passionate about is the connection we are able to make between this cause and both the Columbus and Campus community. Students walk away from the Dance Marathon saying it was one of their favorite experiences at Ohio State. High school students grow and develop from their experiences working with BuckeyeThon. The kids who were treated at the hospital compare the Dance Marathon to Christmas. This is one of our corporate sponsors favorite events of the entire year. Staff and faculty enjoy seeing our university’s students making a difference in our community. I love that there is something that we can all do to pay it forward together.
HC: Are there any tips or tricks you would give to any future participants?
VC: Start fundraising early! It can be a little intimidating to fundraise but it can be super easy if you start as soon as you register. Our team works with fundraisers on a 1:1 basis to help anyone who needs more tips and tricks and you can find a lot on our website.
HC: Are there any ways to get involved in BuckeyeThon outside of the actual event?
VC: Of course! There are a number of ways to get involved with BuckeyeThon. You can attend any of our many events, be a team captain, or become a morale captain. All of these ways can be found here! http://buckeyethon.osu.edu/getinvolved
HC: What other clubs/organizations are you involved with?
VC: We work with hundreds of student organizations on campus to fundraise for the kids in our community. We are so grateful for all of the support we get from student organizations across campus and do whatever we can to promote or support other organizations in any way that we can.
HC: If you had one wish what would you do with it?
VC: Cure cancer.
HC: If you could travel to any place in the world, where would you go?
VC: India. It’s where my parents are from and I haven’t been in almost ten years. I would love to go back!
HC:Who inspires you the most? In what way would you like to inspire others?
VC: Elon Musk. When I think of someone who is living with the purpose of positively changing the world he is always the first person that comes to mind. I would love to inspire others by stating true to my values. I believe living a life passionately and with a great work ethic are both so crucial.
HC: What has been your favorite memory of OSU so far?
VC: Last year when Ohio State broke $1 million raised for the kids at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Watching our campus come together was so inspiring and unforgettable.