Maryland Stories: Alexa Ravitz

"I first joined Terp Thon in 2019, when I transferred to UMD. I had first heard of it through a friend from high school, who was very passionate about it and encouraged me to join. Once I learned more about it, I wanted to join right away. I participated in my first Dance Marathon in person in 2020. This year, I have the honor of being a captain on the Public Relations committee.

Terp Thon's connection to Children's National Hospital means a lot to me as I've been impacted by pediatric illness. At the end of middle school, I began having a lot of body pain, headaches and got lightheaded really easily. The next two years turned into doctor’s appointment after doctor’s appointment and test after test, trying to figure out what was wrong. When I was 15, I was finally diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). I still imagine a child having to go through what I did in order to get diagnosed.

Being involved with such a cause at UMD has meant a lot to me throughout my past few years here. When I transferred here, I knew I wanted to join a club. Terp Thon has given me the sense of community I was looking for while being able to give back to the medical community. The fact that we can help make childrens’ doctor’s visits easier for them warms my heart, which motivates me to raise funds and awareness for the children. I graduated this past December, but I’m very thankful for the memories I have with Terp Thon during my time at Maryland."