This school year, I was lucky enough to serve on the management team for HuskyTHON, UConn’s largest fundraising organization. HuskyTHON is a close-knit community of students who raise awareness and funds for Connecticut Children’s, a free-standing hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. This year-long effort that includes events and fundraising push days culminates in an 18-hour dance marathon during the spring semester. When I went to my first HuskyTHON in 2023, I remember seeing the people on stage wearing their polos and blue jeans. I thought to myself, I want to be one of those people one day! I was fortunate to make that a reality this year when I served as the Director of Hospitality for HuskyTHON 2025. My successes and growth can be attributed to the mentors and friends who were on the HuskyTHON 2025 Steering Board. Composed of one executive director and five vice presidents, the HuskyTHON Steering Board oversees the management team and its initiatives and helps make the fundraiser a huge success. As a thank you for their hard work this year, I sought out to interview each steering board member to learn more about their personal experience with HuskyTHON. I call this series: Steering to Success.
Vice President of Communications for HuskyTHON 2025: Izzy Casais
Izzy Casais, a senior Chemistry major with a minor in Spanish, serves as the Vice President of Communications this year for HuskyTHON 2025. I have been able to get to know Izzy on the management team this past year, and I can truly say she is one of the most genuine people I have met. Her passion for the arts and HuskyTHON blend to create the person Izzy is. Izzy found out about HuskyTHON through her friend Shea Tirendi, who was a HuskyTHON Rising Leader during their freshman year. Shea encouraged Izzy and their friends to come to HuskyTHON 2022, which launched Izzy’s love for HuskyTHON. When speaking about her first “Night Of,” the morale dance was one element that made HuskyTHON so special.
“I vividly remember standing behind the exact same morale captain every single dance because he did it so well”
Izzy Casais, Vice President of Communications for HuskyTHON 2025
Her friend Liv suggested that they apply to be morale captains the following year, so they did. Sophomore year, Izzy served as a morale captain, which followed with her junior year as the Creative Director for the HuskyTHON 2024 team.
Izzy was inspired to apply for the management team by a previous member of the management team, Dariana Mota. Being the Creative Director for HuskyTHON 2024 allowed Izzy to blend two of her passions: giving back to others and the arts. Both of her parents are artists, and while she played many sports throughout her life, art brought out the brightest parts of Izzy. HuskyTHON has allowed this passion to shine as she assisted and helped her directors create Instagram graphics, stunning merchandise, thoughtful captions, and eye-catching videos for participants to appreciate and connect to.
When asked to describe herself as a child, she remembers that “little Izzy was always giggly, creative, and a daddy’s girl.” Though she is older, she is still the same Izzy she described. Izzy never fails to make me laugh and continuously impresses me with her artistic abilities. This year, HuskyTHON was able to raise 2.1 million dollars for Connecticut Children’s, a feat that could not have happened without Izzy and her hard work. Her drive and consistent effort fueled our communications team this year and truly helped Change the Tide.
Izzy, your passion for HuskyTHON is so clear and has inspired so many. Thank you for the hard work you’ve done these past years and for steering the HuskyTHON 2025 team to success. Your legacy will forever be remembered by me and many others.
Interested in making a difference? Join HuskyTHON!
Every HuskyTHON participant found HuskyTHON in a different way, and maybe this article is yours. Though HuskyTHON 2025 has come to an end, HuskyTHON 2026 is slowly approaching. If you’re interested in learning more about HuskyTHON and participating here at UConn, feel free to check out our website and follow our Instagram account @huskython to experience some of the HuskyTHON magic. Participants will be able to register in June of 2025 for our next dance marathon, so gear up for another year of fundraising with some of the most inspiring, dedicated people on campus.