Sophia Sun spent time in hospitals watching five close family members fight cancer. Three of them passed away. The rising New Trier High School sophomore decided the loneliness she saw seniors endure during treatment was a problem she could fix.

Sun, a Winnetka student in New Trier's class of 2030, founded the Seniors Cancer Foundation in April as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. By July, Sun said the organization had partnered with Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center, Gilda's Club Chicago, and Endeavor Health to deliver care packages, gift baskets, and handwritten cards to older adults undergoing cancer treatment.

Sun said more than 1,000 of her classmates have signed on as volunteers.

"I started SCF when I was going through a really difficult time in my life. I had unfortunately had five of my really close family members diagnosed with cancer, and three of them had passed away," Sun told Patch on July 15. "During my relatives' treatment time, I noticed how a lot of them emotionally slipped away, and how important emotional support is during treatment time."

Sun said she taught herself how to form a nonprofit by watching YouTube tutorials, then recruited community members with board experience to help complete the legal paperwork and secure institutional partnerships. Her parents were supportive but had expertise in other fields and were not sure how to navigate the nonprofit process themselves, she said.

New Trier serves about 4,000 students; service learning is a graduation expectation, but mobilizing a quarter of a class around one cause goes well beyond a typical project. Sun said she encourages other students to follow what they're passionate about and advised classmates to cold-email experienced nonprofit professionals.

"Don't be afraid to take this risk because it's really worth it," she said.

Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center, Gilda's Club Chicago, and Endeavor Health have not independently confirmed the partnership to North Shore Weekly.