A conversation with Connecting Champions founder Sidney about mentorship, identity, school, careers, and hope.
For more than 20 years, I have volunteered to support young head and neck cancer patients and survivors across the country. I have had the honor of listening to and connecting with remarkable young people navigating cancer, while also collaborating with respected organizations working to improve patients’ lives.
When I learned about Connecting Champions, a nonprofit focused on connecting young people affected by cancer with mentors who share their interests and career aspirations, I wanted to know more. Founder Sidney graciously took the time to answer my questions.
Why did you create Connecting Champions?
Sidney shared that the idea began in high school, when a friend named Lauren was diagnosed with cancer. Later, while attending Brown University and volunteering on a pediatric oncology unit, Sidney began asking children and teens a simple question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
The answers ranged from dancer to bookstore owner to WWE wrestler. The question created a moment in which young people could focus on who they were and who they hoped to become—not simply on their illness.
The summer after freshman year, Sidney founded Connecting Champions around that idea. The organization began by serving children and teens, later expanded to young adults through age 26, and added a stronger focus on career preparedness, exploration, and survivorship.
Who does Connecting Champions help?
Through virtual and in-person programs, Connecting Champions pairs young people up to age 26, both in treatment and survivorship, with mentors representing more than 100 career paths and interests. Examples shared in the interview include fashion, NASA, skilled trades, and entrepreneurship.
Mentors typically meet with participants over a period of months, helping them explore careers, develop skills, gain knowledge, and reconnect with parts of their identity that can easily become overshadowed by cancer.
“This mentorship allows us to have an escape from the medical world and dive into what we love doing.” — Connecting Champions participant
How do the mentorship programs work?
Connecting Champions offers two primary approaches. Participants who already know what profession or field they want to explore can be matched with a mentor in that area. Young people who are unsure—or who have several interests—can participate in an exploratory model and meet mentors from different fields.
A staff member participates in calls and helps coordinate visits. The organization can also provide supplies for hands-on experiences over video, with examples ranging from archaeology kits and software to cosmetology materials.
Why does mentorship matter during and after cancer?
Sidney emphasized that cancer can interrupt far more than medical health. Adolescents and young adults may miss school, internships, networking, career exploration, and other experiences their peers use to prepare for adulthood.
Connecting Champions has therefore focused research on unmet school and career needs among adolescents and young adults affected by cancer. According to the information provided for this interview, participants frequently report needs related to career and school preparedness, including needs that continue into survivorship.
The organization reports strong participant outcomes related to learning new skills, beginning career planning, and feeling more control over the future. These figures should be linked to Connecting Champions’ current research or impact reporting when this article is published.
What is next for Connecting Champions?
Sidney described significant expansion beyond the organization’s Pittsburgh roots, with participants and referral partners now spread across multiple states. The long-term goal is continued national growth through partnerships with hospitals, nonprofits, insurers, and other organizations, ultimately making mentorship accessible to young people throughout the country.
How to Get Involved
Mentors are central to the Connecting Champions model. As Sidney put it, whether someone has an everyday job or what might seem like the coolest job in the world, there may be a young person who wants to learn about that path.
- Meet a mentor: ConnectingChampions.org/aya
- Refer a patient: ConnectingChampions.org/referapatient
- Become a mentor: ConnectingChampions.org/volunteering
Before publishing, confirm these links and update the organization’s current reach, partner counts, impact statistics, and program eligibility directly with Connecting Champions.