Paige Harsman was nominated to lead a team to raise money while competing against other schools in the Dayton area for the title of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Students Visionaries of the Year. In addition to Harsman, the Eagle Soar for a Cure team consist of Brynn Good ’26, Isla Gilman ’26, Sadie Lekan ’25, Lily Kandel ’25, Eli Joseph ’27, Bridget Wolking ’27, Lizzie Stouder ’26, and Lilly Lastowski ’26.
Through this philanthropic leadership development program, Harsman and her team develop entrepreneurship, marketing and project management. It is their hope that their efforts will result in funds raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, whose global mission is to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma while improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
“I have always been passionate about participating in service activities,” said Harsman. “When in elementary school, I started participating in service through my church, my school and my Girl Scout troop. When I heard about this program, I knew it would be a great way to connect my passion for service with such a great cause.”
Harsman loves kids. She works with young children at her job at the Vandalia Recreation Center. After learning that leukemia is the most diagnosed form of childhood cancer and hearing the powerful stories told by young families with children who have battled cancer, she felt personally connected as she reflected on the healthy kids in her care.
When a close family friend was diagnosed with blood cancer, Harsman truly understood the reality of a diagnosis. This experience moved her to spread awareness and to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Dayton’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society introduced the Eagle Soar for a Cure team to a 20-month-old toddler named Nolan, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia when he was 5 months old. Nolan was Harsman and her team’s motivation to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society because its funding allowed this toddler to be a part of a clinical trial at Dayton’s Children’s Hospital. This clinical trial helped Nolan overcome his cancer, and according to his parents, he has been in remission since March of 2024.
“Paige is an amazing student,” said Angela Ruffolo, Chaminade Julienne’s Social Studies Department Chair. “She is dedicated to making CJ and the greater Dayton community a better place. I’m impressed with the fact that Paige has created and organized a team of students to plan all kinds of activities to raise awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.”
Besides this cause, Harsman is a leader at CJ. She served as the president of her class on the student council during her freshman and sophomore years. With CJ United, she is an officer on CJ’s Neighborhood Council. Harsman is also a part of Lighthouse, which helps spread awareness and coping strategies for students dealing with stress or mental health issues. She is an Eagle Ambassador, the design editor for CJ’s Eagle Messenger Newspaper, a National Honor Society nominee, and a student development chair. She is a junior serving on the Senior Event Activities team. Harsman plays varsity tennis, is in the ski club, and is the founder of the CJ pickleball club (she was instrumental in getting the pickleball lines added to the CJ tennis courts).
Most recently, Harsman won a statewide Patriots of the American Revolution essay contest with her essay about Deborah Sampson, the first female American soldier. The Daughters of the American Revolution, Ohio chapter, hosted this contest to prepare for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026 by honoring patriots. Harsman received the $500 prize at an award ceremony.
Harsman is an active Girl Scout member. She will receive the Girl Scout’s gold award in March. Her gold award project was a cookbook with special recipes for allergy-prone scouts to use while at Girl Scout events.
“I am excited that my team has this opportunity to raise awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” said Harsman. “This non-profit organization does great things, including funding research, providing patient services, and educating the public about blood cancer. Hopefully, we will have a successful campaign and earn the coveted title of Student Visionary of the Year.”