Meet this week’s Campus Celebrity, Brennan Young. Brennan is a Sophomore at UNH who recently shaved off all his hair in order to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. His most current event, Train For Kids’ Sake, raised over $5,000 for Project Sunshine, a student organization that spends days at the hospital with children who suffer from serious illness. To learn more about Brenan and his involvement on campus read below!
Name: Brennan Young
Hometown: Lee, New Hampshire
Grade: Sophomore
Major: Health Management & Policy
Activities/Clubs: Current Vice-President of Programming for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Member of Project Sunshine; a student organization that aims to bring normalcy to the lives of children affected by serious illness by visiting Boston area children’s hospitals. Head of philanthropic events such as Train For Kids’ Sake and St. Baldrick’s Shave For A Cure. Heavily involved in intramural sports, ice hockey, as well as an avid kayaker (guide in Martha’s Vineyard).
What made you shave your head for cancer?For a long time, I’ve had the dream to work in a pediatric health care setting. My interest stems from the belief that healthcare is largely focused on an aging population and the idea that my determination towards health could be used to extend or increase the quality of life for a child affected by life-threatening illness. As a philanthropy event for Sigma Phi Epsilon, along with several others, I shaved my head to increase awareness of childhood cancer and raise money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation cancer research.
How much money did you raise?In the Spring of 2014, my brothers and I raised $13,000 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation and childhood cancer research funding. This fall, I planned an event with members of SigEp and Project Sunshine called Train For Kids’ Sake. Train For Kids’ Sake raised $5,000 through an exercise-based event for UNH Project Sunshine.
What is your favorite thing about UNH?My favorite thing about UNH is the active atmosphere. There is always something to do for everyone at any given time. From a perspective of sports, clubs, and social life, UNH has everything I could want in a college campus.
Philly, Stillings, or Hoco?Philly undoubtedly.
If you could pick next week’s campus celebrity who would you pick?Chris King should absolutely, with no doubt in my mind, be the next campus celebrity. Well-known across campus, he boasts a positive personality and passion that very few people ever find within themselves. This year, while balancing a million things, Chris developed a t-shirt company called White Top that released on November 1st. He makes no personal profit from the amazing clothing he sells, instead using the profit to fund a leadership program that hikes across the Presidential Range, inspiring likeminded people to achieve their goals.