About Be Their Change Founder

I am Francie Igboabuchi, a pre-med student on the path to becoming a physician-scientist. Be Their Change is a beautiful organization birthed the moment lab science met clinical practice.

I was born and raised in Nigeria. In middle school, I led a club called of WOTCLEF, Women's Trafficking and Child Labor Eradication Foundation, founded by Mrs. Titi Atiku-Abubakar, and this gave me a front seat to the many problems women and children face due to poverty, unawareness, and disempowerment. In high school, I became increasingly aware of the prevalence of cancer through hearing about unfortunate incidents of people's passing, especially in women.

In 2018, I moved to The United States for college with the academic goal of becoming a physician after discovering my passions for medicine and science. After obtaining my Associates of Science from Green River College, Auburn, WA, I transferred to Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ where I received my Bachelors of Science in Biological Science with a concentration in Biomedical Science. In my final semester at ASU, I took a 'Genetic Engineering and Society' course which solidified my decision to combine medicine and science and become a physician-scientist.

Following my college graduation, I moved to the Bay Area where I currently work with an awesome team as a research scientist in the field of oncology in The Clarke Lab at The Stanford School of Medicine. My research focuses on triple negative breast cancer, TNBC, an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer which, according to the American Cancer Society, accounts for ~10-15% of all breast cancers. And whilst breast cancer in men is rare, it accounts for <1% of diagnosed breast cancers. A few months shy of a year working as a research scientist, I got into the hospital to volunteer and get some clinical experience. During my first encounter with the volunteering coordinators at the hospital, I saw the full picture of my calling to the field of breast cancer. Or as Oprah calls it, I found my "Aha!" moment- the moment in my life where translational science met clinical practice and sparks flew. Be Their Change is a product of my "Aha!" moment.

I understand the challenge of growing up in a huge world that you have access to and simultaneously f

The objective of Be Their Change is to increase knowledge and awareness of breast cancer in the younger generation. This is important because early detection can make for much better therapeutic approaches. Through connecting volunteers to organizations in their communities where they can provide support, we hope to achieve our goal. As knowledge is power, it is our belief at BTC that when people get involved, they become better equipped, and through creating or strengthening a support network for warriors and survivors, we can be their change. Nobody should have to go to war alone.

I hope warriors around the world are able to feel a sense of empowerment and strength through the millions of people around the world who are rallying for them. And I hope through BTC, we are able to add fuel to their strength through supporting them.

We are looking forward to welcoming our first wave of volunteers and seeing the wonderful ways they go on to change the their communities.

Love,

Francie Igboabuchi.