Isabella Green
Hawken Upper School in Gates Mills, Ohio
Isabella Green is a junior at Hawken Upper School in Gates Mills, Ohio. Isabella is the founder and CEO of The Stem Well, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances racial equity and respect in pediatric cancer prevention and care. In 2022, the organization's inaugural year, The Stem Well established a partnership with Cleveland Clinic Children's, a leading pediatric oncology hospital; partnered with mid-low- to high-poverty schools where a significant number of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, raised more than $8,000, and served 153 children. Isabella, who aims to be a pediatric oncologist, was motivated to act because experts confirm that poverty leads to inferior cancer outcomes. Moreover, Black and Hispanic children in the United States outpace other racial groups in poverty and are more likely to die from cancer than White children. In schools, she promotes sunscreen use and encourages the exploration of medical careers by children from groups underrepresented as doctors. In addition, she prioritizes the needs of under-resourced pediatric cancer patients and delivers care packages and personalized milestone gifts, art and music supplies, and items to decorate hospital rooms. Also, her organization makes emergency food and gas funds available to patients and their caregivers. As the World Health Organization cites 30 to 50 percent of all cancer cases as avoidable, there is much to gain from her work: improved and saved lives. Isabella also leads the first-ever Black Girl Affinity Group at Hawken Upper School, which she founded in 2022 to create a safe space for students who identify as Black and female (approximately 30 of 500 at Hawken Upper) to exhale, grow, and positively impact. Activities include a guest speaker series featuring Black women, personal branding and goal-setting, peer mentoring, advocacy and fun. Isabella was selected from over 10,000 applicants as one of the 100 appointed to the Disney Dreamers Class of 2022, and also was chosen as a Joyce Ivy Scholar. Recently, she was appointed to the 2023 Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew to advance equity for girls in STEM.