Cancer survivors take leadership skills to college

Matt Claver of Wheeling and Adam Petraglia of Hawthorn Woods only met each other this summer, but they share a lot in common.

They both attended a brunch in June where they each received a first-time $20,000 tuition-based scholarship from the Children's Oncology Services Education Fund, based in Chicago.

Both teens left last week for their first year of college, Claver for Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., and Petraglia for Marquette University in Milwaukee.

As cancer survivors with solid academic records and leadership experience, their applications stood out among the nearly 75 applicants, says Jacob Drescher, executive director of Children's Oncology Services.

But it was their essays that talked about how their cancer experiences had affected them and had determined their plans for the future that moved the selection committee, Drescher added.

Claver was diagnosed two years ago, during his sophomore year at Wheeling High School, with a rare tumor that had wrapped itself around his brainstem. He underwent major surgery in May of that year, which successfully removed it.

Beyond the disruption to his academic studies, one of the biggest strains Claver faced, he says, was his inability to play sports. However, as soon as his junior year rolled around, Claver began shooting around with the basketball team to build his endurance, and he played in a few junior varsity games.

"I just tried to do as much as I could," he says.

By his senior year, and after working that summer with a personal trainer, Claver made it all the way back to the varsity team, led by Coach Lou Wool, and he even made it into some games.

At Carthage, Claver plans to major in math and education, with an initial goal of becoming a high school teacher and coach. He thinks of the impact Coach Wool had on his recovery, of how he visited him in the hospital every week to boost his spirits.

He also thinks of his advanced placement physics teacher, Pete Ogilvie, who made the class fun and interesting, he says, while incorporating high level math skills.

"At this point I think I want to be a teacher, but if any other doors open up with my math degree, I'd be open to it," Claver says.

Petraglia was in fifth grade when he was diagnosed with leukemia. His four years of treatments successfully eliminated the cancer, he says, but he suffered permanent kidney damage from the chemotherapy and nerve damage to his feet from laying in bed so long, he says.

One year after he was diagnosed, Petraglia attended the "One Step at a Time" camp, sponsored by Children's Oncology Services in Lake Geneva, Wis. He has returned every summer, and this year he and the other teens served as counselors in training.

"What makes it so special is that at camp, you're not different," says Petraglia, a graduate of Lake Zurich High School. "Everyone has cancer, and everyone can participate in things ."

Despite wearing braces on his legs, Petraglia played all of the sports offered at the camp, from the high ropes course, to the more traditional games of basketball, softball and swimming.

At Marquette, he plans to study sports management and entrepreneurship, with the dream of one day working for a professional team, or even opening a sports facility, he says, where persons of all abilities can participate.

"This was a first-time scholarship, and it really means a lot to my family," Petraglia adds. "I was thrilled to get it."

Officials with Children's Oncology Services are celebrating its 30th year, and while they had awarded scholarships in the past to cover college book reimbursements, this year they decided to take it a step further, Drescher says.

"As a board, we looked at our resources and the need," he says, "and we felt we had the ability to award something really substantial to prospective college bound students."