Advisory Board
Ali is an 18 year old from East Greenwich, RI. She loves to spend time with her two Golden doodles and hang out with her friends while maintaining her studies in high school (and next year college at the University of Miami).
Ali has been volunteering ever since she was 12 and worked with the elderly. She is extremely passionate about helping make children with cancer smile as they push through the toughest fight. Ali met Ella, the girl Glimmer of Hope is inspired by, when she was in preschool, and they grew up together as very close friends.
After Ali saw what Ella had to go through, she felt compelled to be a part of something in honor of her. The Junior Board of Glimmer of Hope was the perfect opportunity! Ali has now been on the Junior Board for over two years and is honored to be a part of this wonderful community that helps put smiles on these brave childhood cancer fighters’ faces!!
Junior Board Member
Katie Murphy is a 16 year old junior at La Salle Academy. She is a competitive dancer who spends a lot of time in her studio teaching, choreographing, and learning. Katie is also a member of the dance club at her school. She loves spending time with friends and family. Katie has been a Girl Scout for over 10 years and is still continuing her progress through finishing her gold award. Katie is honored to be apart of such an amazing organization that helps these brave, sweet, strong kids that are going through the most difficult times battling cancer. She is dedicating her time at Glimmer of Hope for her dear friend Ella, whom this organization was inspired by. Katie has known Ella ever since preschool and being part of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation is a great way to honor her. Katie can’t wait to see all the smiles that this organization will deliver!
Junior Board Member
Giada is an eighteen-year-old Senior at East Greenwich High School. She loves doing all things creative, like taking film photos, painting, and designing. She loves being the Graphic Designer for the Glimmer of Hope Junior Board since she is able to continue doing what she loves while making an impact on those around her.
In her spare time she loves hiking, running, baking cupcakes, and exploring new places. She has a passion for traveling and learning new languages and hopes to one day backpack Europe.
Next year she plans on studying Digital Art at The Catholic University of America, and hopes to continue using her passion for art and design to help spread awareness and raise money to help those battling Childhood Cancer.
Junior Board Vice President
Riley is a seventeen-year-old senior at East Greenwich High School. She plans to attend Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) beginning in the fall of 2023. PLME is an eight-year program that allows students to combine their undergraduate and medical education at Brown. As a physician, Riley hopes to work in pediatrics, which is a passion that has only grown by working with Glimmer of Hope. Riley is a soccer player and older sister to four younger siblings. She loves reading, long runs, hot tea, Taylor Swift, and Biology.
Riley has been a member of The Junior Board for two years now, and it has been one of the most amazing experiences for her. She is proud to be a part of Glimmer of Hope and to honor all those who are affected by childhood cancer. 🙂
Junior Board Advisory Board Delegate
Kendall Liesching is so thrilled and honored to be a part of this organization, which works to give joy and hope to people battling cancer. Kendall is a 17 year old junior at La Salle Academy. She is an extremely hardworking student, an avid reader and a competitive swimmer. At school she participates in various clubs such as Student Council, Best Buddies, Women in STEM, Girls Who Code, Environmental Action Committee, Youth in Action, Spanish Club, Art Club, Model UN and Model Legislature. When she grows up she aspires to research oncology and address the intersectionality between environmental racism and cancer. Her desire to study oncology was fostered by two influential women in her life: her grandma and her best friend.
Kendall witnessed early on the horrific toll cancer takes on people as she saw her grandma fearlessly battle lung cancer. Furthermore, Kendall is best friends with Ella and they have been inseparable since they were only two years old. They grew up playing dolls together, participating in the same soccer league and being leaders on their Girl Scout troop. The many hours Kendall spent with Ella in the hospital inspired her to get involved with people who have cancer and work towards spreading happiness to them. Kendall misses Ella everyday and now that she is gone there is a large void in the world that is missing her kindness and her light, which touched everyone around her. In order to partially fill this emptiness, Kendall wants to get more involved with giving hope to people battling cancer and the Glimmer of Hope Foundation is the perfect way to do this.
Junior Board Secretary
Grace is an 18 year old senior at Marquette High School in Missouri. She will be attending Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi where she will be studying communication sciences and disorders. Some of her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, helping others, and playing golf. She also enjoys being involved in her school and community. She is a member of the National Honors Society, Red Cross Club, and Best Buddies.
She grew up in Rhode Island and moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 2013. She was sad to leave all of her family and friends, especially her best friend Ella. Grace first met Ella when they were on a soccer team together in kindergarten. She knew they were destined to be friends when they would chit-chat and pick flowers rather than actually play soccer. They went to school together, danced together, played with American Girl dolls, and shared a love for Taylor Swift. They were inseparable and just clicked. Even when Grace moved from Rhode Island to St. Louis, FaceTimes and visits were a must.
Being a part of Glimmer of Hope is the perfect way to honor her friend. Grace is inspired by the fact that Ella wrote to American Girl asking them to create a bald doll. She wants to help make sure other children battling cancer can receive their own doll too.
Junior Board Member
Jillian Prior is a graduate of East Greenwich High School. She splits her time between her schoolwork, playing field hockey and lacrosse and spending time with friends and family. Her interests include learning new languages, baking and traveling. One day, Jillian hopes to travel around the world and experience new sights, culture and cuisine. She is not quite sure where she will land after high school graduation but is hoping to be in a new city with new adventures. Inspired by her love to help others and her interest in coming up with new ways to involve the community, Jillian is so excited to be on the Glimmer of Hope Junior Board and watch first hand the smiles we help create.
Junior Board Member
Carrigan Nelson, 21, of Portsmouth RI is a 3 time Osteosarcoma warrior. She has been fighting the aggressive bone cancer for 3 years. She is a recent above the knee amputee and is currently undergoing monthly chemotherapy. Carrigan is an 8 time gold medalist and black belt in Taekwondo.
She is an award winning vocalist who has been performing regionally for a decade, most recently performing for a crowd of over 30K fans at a Boston Red Sox Game benefiting the Jimmy Fund. She is a youth mentor and a graduate of the Melissa Mulligan Vocal Studios Masters and Graduate Program for Contemporary Artists NYC. Carrigan is the proud recipient of the 2019 NAACP Role Model of the Year Award for Newport County, the 2020 Newport Daily News Youth Leadership Award and is 2020’s Honorary Miss RI’s Outstanding Teen.
She enjoys creating content on YouTube and TikTok. She started and maintains the Sarcoma Fighters Instagram Page which aims to connect Osteosarcoma warriors, honor their journeys, and pay tribute to Osteosarcoma angels.
Carrigan is an ambassador for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s “ Defy Cancer” campaign, the Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon and the Kendra Scott “Kendra Cares” program. Her greatest passion is her work as a Pediatric Cancer Advocate. Carrigan has raised over $20,000 in donations for her fellow pediatric cancer warriors. Carrigan’s hospital room was across from Ella’s. Ella was such a beautiful and positive light. She remains Carrigan’s inspiration. Carrigan proudly serves on the GOH board in honor of Ella and her fellow cancer warriors and angels.
Junior Board Outreach Coordinator
Mia Daley is so excited to be a part of the Glimmer of Hope Jr board! She is the outreach coordinator of the board. She is a 16 year old Sophomore at Lasalle Academy in Providence, RI. Mia has been participating in musical theater for 10 years and has loved every second of it. Mia takes in many forms of dance including tap, ballet, and contemporary.
Mia is a national Youth Ambassador for The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement as well the RI advocate, which has made her very passionate about youth advocacy. In her future she would love to be a Politician and bring up the topic’s of SEL and cancer advocacy. Mia’s greatest passion is spreading awareness and funds for organizations that she feels passionate about. She can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Jr Board!
Junior Board Graphic Designer
Riley Plante is a sophomore at La Salle Academy and acts as the Graphic Designer for the Glimmer of Hope Junior Board. In her free time she participates in swimming, cross country, track and field, student council, and other community service. Riley strives to spread joy and aid those less fortunate than herself. Through the organization, she feels as if she can truly make a difference in the lives of others.
Riley‘s mother is a hospice physician, and this has helped Riley gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the struggles individuals face while battling life-threatening conditions. She also learned that seemingly simple gestures of kindness during tough times can make a huge impact.
Riley chose to join Glimmer of Hope after hearing about its meaningful mission and ability to make a positive difference in the community. Being a member of the Junior Board allows Riley to give back in a significant, creative way!
Junior Board Member
Addison is a 15 year old freshman at East Greenwich High School in Rhode Island. When not in school Addison enjoys playing volleyball and unified basketball. But, most of all she enjoys helping people. Addison’s love for sports has fostered her passion for helping others through participation in unified sports and volunteering for Special Olympics. She aspires to be a Pediatric Oncologist which is a passion she has gained from working with Glimmer Of Hope.
She is an active member of many clubs at school including HOSA, Unified Club, Letter For Roses, and The Golden Hearts Club (in honor of Ella). Although Addison never had the honor to meet Ella, she is so inspired by her bravery and the message she continues to spread. Addison has been a member of the junior board since it was founded! The Junior Board has given her so many opportunities to make a difference in families’ lives through supporting Glimmer Of Hope Foundation’s mission to provide HOPE for families battling childhood cancer.
Junior Board Member
Kate is a Senior at North Kingstown High School. She joined the Junior Board in February 2023 after organizing a fundraiser for Team Ella at her school. Helping children with cancer has been such a rewarding experience for her, and she hopes to continue working with Glimmer of Hope as a student at University of Rhode Island!
Junior Board Member
Pia is a 16 year old from Princeton, New Jersey. As an avid environmental advocate, youth empowerment and grassroots activism hold a very special place in her heart. When not busy leading her school’s Green Team or participating in Model Congress competitions, she can be found singing, working out, or going on adventures in nature. She is excited to work alongside an amazing team of young leaders to make a difference in the lives of children affected by cancer!
Junior Board Member
Kaitlyn is a 15 year old Freshman at the Prout School in Wakefield Rhode Island. She enjoys running long distances, shopping, and spending time with friends and family. She has 5 siblings. Julia, her 5 year old sister was recently diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer. She is currently going through treatment. This gave her a glimpse into the medical field and she hopes to study pediatric medicine in the future. Julia received a doll and a photo shoot from the Glimmer of Hope foundation which inspired Kaitlyn to join the junior board and help other families through their experiences.
Junior Board Member
Lila is a freshman at East Greenwich High School. She enjoys playing field hockey when not at school. She has always been really interested in helping people. She has done many fundraisers for the Main Street Association and volunteered for many things, like the American Heart Association. She also coaches children in field hockey and is an active babysitter in her community. She is very excited to be a member of Glimmer of Hope’s Junior Board and is looking forward to making a difference in people’s lives through Glimmer of Hope.
Junior Board Member
Katey is a 17 year old high school junior from Morris, Illinois. She is a dancer with a passion for learning, traveling, and childhood cancer advocacy. She also enjoys reading, Taylor Swift, spending time with her family, and musical theatre. After High School Katey plans to pursue a double major in psychology and neuroscience with the goal of becoming a pediatric neuropsychologist, specializing in the long-term neurocognitive effects of pediatric oncology treatment.
Katey was introduced to the childhood cancer world firsthand when she was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2020. After two and a half years of treatment, she is now cancer free. She received a doll from the Glimmer of Hope Foundation and connected from the Founder, Ali, at Curefest. Katey feels that Glimmer of Hope is the perfect way to support all the kids who are going through the same experience she did as a pediatric cancer warrior. Katey is thrilled to be a part of the Junior Board and the Glimmer of Hope Mission and hopes to provide a little bit of hope and joy to kids in an otherwise scary situation.
Junior Board Member
Gianna is beyond thrilled to be part of the Glimmer of Hope foundation. Gianna is a 16-year-old junior at Pilgrim High School in Warwick Rhode Island. Gianna is in the LifeSaver Pathway at Pilgrim and will be completing her requirements this coming school year, to achieve her EMT License through the school’s program. Gianna will be taking the National Exam next spring of 2024. Gianna has completed many hours in the pathway with obtaining certifications for CPR, Heimlich Maneuver, Babysitting, Wilderness First Aid and the American Red Cross, to name a few. Gianna is a volunteer with the Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corp and will be working with Rhode Island Hospital to obtain her EMT License. Gianna has always been passionate about working with children and pediatrics. After losing her grandfather to cancer, Gianna became passionate about working with children who have cancer. Gianna hopes to, one day, become a nurse working in the Oncology Department of Hasbro Children’s Hospital. When Gianna was 9, she used her own money to purchase off the Hasbro Wish List on Amazon and donated multiple items to Hasbro. She was excited to be given a tour of the hospital at that time.
Gianna also volunteers for The American Cancer Assocation, Gloria Gemma and the Tomorrow Fund. Gianna is a cheerleader and dancer. She danced for many years until finding her passion with competitive cheer. She currently cheers for the football team, basketball team and the competitive team. She loves lyrical dance and making Tik Tok videos with friends and family. She loves Taylor Swift, Luke Combs, country music and anything she can dance to. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her friends, go to the movies and to the beach and take long walks at night.