Aleksandra was diagnosed with Stage II-B Hodgkin Lymphoma during her sophomore year at Lake Forest College where she was pursuing a degree in English and Politics with a minor in International Relations. Despite the toll of  her chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she remained in school full-time, earned a place on the Dean’s List and tutored other students. Although a recurrence forced an official leave of absence, Aleksandra completed independent study during further treatments. Admittedly when she was diagnosed, Aleksandra asked “Why me?”. She never smoked, did drugs or drank alcohol. Her grades were perfect and she worked hard to help her family who were immigrants to this country. Aleksandra writes “Rarely can anyone call cancer a gift or a blessing, but my cancer experience made me a stronger person and allowed me to discover  certain qualities of my character that would have stayed unknown to me otherwise.” Now, she hopes to create a fashion magazine for young adults dealing with chronic diseases, especially cancer.