Kaleolani Ilac Wins Pilzer Klein’s 2024 Fighting Cancer Scholarship

No child should have to deal with the physical and emotional stress of a cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, these diagnoses are far more common than they should be. Pilzer Klein recognizes that young people struggling to overcome a cancer diagnosis need assistance in all areas of their lives. That’s why the team created its Fighting Cancer Scholarship.

This scholarship recognizes the efforts young cancer patients put into pursuing higher education while combating their diagnoses. Applicants compete to win $2,500 in financial support.

This year, the team with Pilzer Klein proudly awards its 2024 Fighting Cancer Scholarship to Kaleolani Ilac. Ilac is currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at UCLA and has expressed interest in adding a Public Policy degree to his academic pursuits. His impassioned dedication toward community betterment inspired all of our team members.

Words No Fifteen-Year-Old Wants to Hear

Ilac’s scholarship application essay starts with a bang: “‘You have a cancerous tumor,’ are words no fifteen-year-old wants to hear.” This powerful introduction allows Ilac to tell the reader about the emotional stress he was under while medical professionals at the Valley Children’s Hospital investigated sudden changes in his health.

Fortunately, in a manner of speaking, his diagnosis came shortly after. Medical professionals informed him that he had an optic nerve glioma. The Boston Children’s Hospital describes this as a slow-growing brain tumor that begins forming around the optic nerve. Normally, they aren’t cancerous. In Ilac’s case, his tumor posed a threat to his long-term health.

Despite the threat the diagnosis posed, Ilac reports that it came with “a strange sort of relief…the oncology clinic is where I prepared for battle…my doctors weren’t just treating my body; they were warriors for my spirit, challenging my darkest thoughts.”

Achieving Excellence Despite Devastating Circumstances

Ilac never wanted his diagnosis to define his entire life. While he and his family had to account for the impact his cancer treatments would have on his education, those treatments didn’t stop him from achieving his long-term goals. 

He reports that his 504 plan allowed him to maintain the academic flexibility he needed to rank #4 in his class of 735 students. He has a 4.37 weighted GPA. His acceptance to UCLA and pursuit of a Political Science degree speaks to his intent to have a concrete impact on the communities around him.

Making a Wish and Looking Toward the Future

It’s difficult enough to maintain a 4.37 weighted GPA while dealing with a cancer diagnosis, but Ilac didn’t consign his achievements to his schoolwork. His family collaborated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to arrange a visit to the United Nations headquarters. There, Ilac reports that he “discovered a purpose.”

“Being able to stand at the podium that world leaders have stood and use their voices to advocate is how I will use my cancer journey to give back to others,” he says. He hopes to utilize his experience to address concerns about “medical deserts,” which make it harder for people in certain parts of the United States to receive timely medical attention.

Giving Back After a Granted Wish

Not only did Ilac use his Make-A-Wish wish for an outstanding opportunity to meet with today’s international leaders, but he also immediately began considering ways to give back to the Make-A-Wish foundation. He became an ambassador for the organization and raised half a million dollars to enable other wishes.

He also joined The Golden Circle of Champions, a national organization that promotes cancer research in honor of Lexi Brown, who passed from pediatric cancer in 2016. 

What’s more, Ilac has since been invited by a leading biopharmaceutical company, Day One, to participate in an educational webinar series designed to make it easier for families to navigate an optic nerve glioma diagnosis. Ilac wants his talk to “empower families with knowledge and resources, allowing them to navigate the complex and overwhelming world of cancer treatment.”

Looking to the Future

The steps Ilac has taken to improve the lives of families dealing with cancer diagnoses represent a radical transfiguration of grief and fear. This young man mobilized in the face of a life-changing diagnosis, and now there are countless other families and cancer patients who can thank him for helping them make plans for the future.

Speaking of the future, Ilac has big plans for his. Once he graduates with his undergraduate degree, he hopes to attend law school. He aims to use a legal degree to improve health outcomes for children diagnosed with cancer. He also hopes to increase awareness about medical deserts and increase the public’s access to healthcare.

He also notes that “[t]hrough international diplomacy, I aim to develop healthcare policies that enhance medical service access worldwide and empower children to reach their maximum potential.”

About Pilzer Klein Fighting Cancer Scholarship

The Pilzer Klein Fighting Cancer Scholarship strives to relieve the financial burden that students facing cancer diagnoses have to take on to afford life-saving treatments. The team with Pilzer Klein believes that these students deserve access to resources they can dedicate strictly toward their continuing education.

That’s why the team created the Pilzer Klein Fighting Cancer Scholarship. The firm asks that applicants draft 1,000-word essays describing their experience with a cancer diagnosis and their hopes for the future.

We want to make it easier for families undergoing the immense stress of a childhood cancer diagnosis to help their kids pursue their dreams. If we can eliminate one financial burden for a student in need, then we’ve done our job right.

Pilzer Klein Is Rooting for Kaleolani Ilac!

Ilac is still fighting his optic nerve glioma diagnosis while attending classes. The team with Pilzer Klein is endlessly impressed by his dedication to his education as well as the thoughtfulness and compassion he brings to conversations about future advocacy. 

Ilac has shown again and again that he is prepared to give back to the communities that support him and that he’ll use his future to better the lives of others in need. We with Pilzer Klein wish Ilac the best as his fight with cancer continues, as he pursues his degree, and as he continues to uplift the people around him.