Sara Suchodolski, a member of the class of 2017, leads by example.

The Mechanical Engineering major recently took it upon herself to start a fundraising campaign and donate 14 inches of her hair to Wigs For Kids, a non-profit organization that gives wigs to children who have lost their hair due to medical issues or conditions. She was inspired to raise funds and donate her hair during her second term at Kettering when she found out her mom had to have brain surgery, and as a result, had to shave part of her head.

She understands how much a person’s hair is part of their identity, and especially for a child, that loss can severely affect their confidence and personality. When her mother became ill, she made it her mission to donate her hair, and has done so twice over the last five years.  When she discovered that the process and maintenance for a single wig costs $1,800, she set up a fundraising campaign and helped to contribute more than $800 to the cause.

Suchodolski's involvement in student organizations enabled her to reach out to many within her network at Kettering to help with the fundraising. She set up a GoFundMe page where she featured a video explaining her goal and asked people to join the cause and donate money. She shared the page through social media and spread the word to members of her sorority, Kettering students, and other friends and family. She also made fliers and sat outside of a few Kettering events with a donation jar and a sign.

“The experience has made me realize that the material things in life that we take for granted are cherished more by others who go without,” she said. “It's hair. It will grow back, but only for some of us. Some people don't have the luxury of having their hair grow back, which is something that we take for granted. Put yourself in the child's position that is dealing with hair loss. If you were in elementary school, other kids wouldn't understand and would make fun of you. In middle school, teens go through enough stress and peer pressure, and adding hair loss must make life that much more traumatic. In high school, you're becoming an adult; taking senior pictures; looking for a job; starting the rest of your life. Imagine going through that with hair loss. You pretty much lose part of your identity. Donating even $1 to Wigs For Kids gets a child that much closer to feeling like themselves again.”