“I've gone through so much and I want people to understand how important cancer awareness and cancer research is,” Hoffman said.

In addition to her two jobs, internship and classes, Hoffman is also the president of Spartans Fighting Cancer, MSU’s chapter of the American Cancer Society’s Colleges Against Cancer nationwide program.

Cancer is something Hoffman has had to face since she was eight years old, when she was diagnosed with leukemia. After she left the hospital where she was being treated, she went to a camp for kids with cancer and met her now late boyfriend.

While many students were celebrating their first year at MSU, Hoffman was dealing with the death of her boyfriend, who passed away in October 2009. During her sophomore year, she discovered the club and became a member.

More than 10 members in Spartans Fighting Cancer are childhood cancer survivors.

This January will mark 14 years since Hoffman heard the words, “you have cancer” for the first time.

“Great New Year’s gift,” she said, laughing.

Hoffman keeps a positive attitude about her battles with the disease, and her experiences led her to a vocation. She said she wants to either become a hospital social worker, work for the American Cancer Society or Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Spartans Fighting Cancer has also made a positive impact on microbiology senior Stephen Vorenberg, who’s in charge of fundraising and sponsorship for the club.

“Once I joined I instantly wanted to do as much as I could,” Vorenberg said. “It’s been a great experience, I wish more people would get involved.”

After he was diagnosed with cancer at 15 years old, Vorenberg noticed how many survivors surrounded him. When he joined Spartans Fighting Cancer, his circle of friends who have survived the disease grew even more.

“Once you're exposed to something, you start to notice it more often,” Vorenberg said.

After his diagnosis, he gained a passion for bringing awareness to the disease and raising money for it.

“With cancer, everyone is in some way affected by it,” Vorenberg said. “No matter what, someone has felt cancer in a certain way. Someone has experienced it.”

The fall is a time for club members like Hoffman to remember the disease that 15,780 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be diagnosed with, the National Cancer Institute estimates.

Members of Spartans Fighting Cancer left Sparticipation last week with 10 pages of paper filled with names of students who are interested in joining. The first meeting of the year had more than 30 people attend, and Hoffman is still receiving many emails from students wanting to join.

“This year we are going to get a ton of support,” Hoffman said.