Meet the Team: Knight-Thon Management 2021-2022
As students at the University of Central Florida return to campus for fall semester, Knight-Thon is well underway in planning events and initiatives in support of Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. This year’s Management Team is looking to bring new energy and excitement to the program as they continue to change kids’ health and change the future. To learn more about our incredible student leaders, check out the highlights below.
Sophie Sajecki
Executive Director
Year: Senior
Major: Advertising & Public Relations with double minors in Digital Media & Event Management
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
I love that this cause is so unique from others, where we have such a deep connection & physical representation of why we do what we do. The relationships and bonds I’ve made throughout the years within this organization are like no other, and it truly is a family within Knight-Thon.
What are you most excited about this year?
Being able to safely interact with our community while being in person, and hopefully being able to perform my morale dance from last year on stage at our Main Event!
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
My freshman year was my first Dance Marathon experience and I was a participant at Knight-Thon 2019 with my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta. A lot of my older friends were on the Executive Board that year, and witnessing the insane amounts of hard work that they put into the year made me want to get more involved! The next year when I was a sophomore, I joined the morale impact team and loved every second. Due to COVID-19, we did not get to finish out the whole year as expected, but that didn’t stop my love for our cause. Last year, I was our 2021 morale director, and had such an incredible year with my morale team, and we collectively raised over $35,000 for the hospital! This year, I can’t wait to see the miracles my team makes as I lead them as our Executive Director.
Jayna Weiss
Community Engagement Manager
Year: Senior
Major: Health Services Administration with a minor in Health Sciences
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon is being able to make an impact in the lives of others. There is no better feeling than seeing a room of people fighting for the same cause and working to make a difference in child health.
What are you most excited about this year?
I am most excited to make as many miracles happen as possible and finish my last year of college in the best way I know how; fighting for our children and the future of their health.
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
Prior to my role as Community Engagement Manager, I was Special Projects captain, a morale impact team member, and an overall participant for an RSO. I never had Dance Marathon in high school but I knew about it and wanted to go to a university that held its own and make miracles happen myself.
Tess Vanderford
Dancer Relations Manager
Year: Senior
Major: Nonprofit Management with a minor in Human Services
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part about DM is being able to visually see the difference we make and the impact we have on others.
What are you most excited about this year?
I’m excited for a new year full of miracles and changes to improve our program for the better!
We are implementing many changes this year, so I can’t wait to see what the future holds and what impacts we will make on our community and for our future knights.
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
I started out my Dance Marathon experience just three years ago on the Community Engagement impact team. From there I was the Family and Hospital captain, where I worked with some amazing individuals, as well as the amazing miracle kids of Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. This year I wanted to grow, learn, and try something new, so I took a leap and am now the Dancer Relations Manager! Although this is my final year, I know this isn’t the end of my involvement for this cause or making a difference in the community.
Keri Nguyen
Communications Manager
Year: Junior
Major: Web Design
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part of being involved in Dance Marathon is the interactions. Whether that be with participants, teams, our partners, our K-12 programs or our miracle families, every interaction is priceless and brings us one step closer to changing kids’ health and changing their future.
What are you most excited about this year?
I am most exiting to get things rolling since things are looking to be more in person! This year is going to be different for Knight-Thon and in the best ways possible because we are looking to make many improvements within the program, and I am excited to see those ideas and plans implemented.
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
Before management, I was first on the Communications Impact Team my freshman year of college and then I later become the Marketing Captain last year, my sophomore year. This year I really want to get my team to a good place where they feel is comfortable and be able to connect participants back to our hospital and our miracle families because I think there was a disconnect these past two years due to not having a main event and due to COVID-19 precautions.
Bri Bradshaw
Event Manager
Year: Senior
Major: Hospitality Management
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part about Dance Marathon is how it creates a community of college students who simply want to do all that they can for our local hospitals, developing an environment of family, diversity, and compassion that you cannot find anywhere else.
What are you most excited about this year?
I’m most excited to be back in the Addition Financial Arena for our first full 20-hour main event since COVID-19, we have big plans for this year and I can’t wait to see it all come to fruition!
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
I started my DM journey 7 years ago in high school and once I came to UCF, I continued to help our high school programs from the Knight-Thon side for a couple years, I then went on to oversee all of our Community Engagement teams (K-12 programs, Family & Hospital Relations, Special Projects). I am so excited to serve as Knight-Thon’s Event Manager for my last year and plan Knight-Thon Main Event 2022!
Tatyana Chowbay
Finance Manager
Year: Senior
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Psychology
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part of being involved is seeing the physical differences we are able to make in our hospital but also the emotional bond we create with the families. Knowing that a group of college students are choosing to take a stand and fight for children’s health is incredible.
What are you most excited about this year?
I’m excited to have everything in person and see so many people create their whys with Knight-Thon and succeed in ways we haven’t seen in a few years. I can’t wait to spend my last year with the people I love most!
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
Prior to being Finance Manager, I was the 2021 Dancer Relations Manager, the 2020 RSO Captain, and a 2019 Morale member. Before my journey as a UCF Knight, I also participated all 4 years in one of our high school feeder programs, WarriorThon at West Orange High School, where I served as the Executive Director my senior year.
About Knight-Thon at the University of Central Florida
Knight-Thon at UCF is a Miracle Network Dance Marathon program supporting Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Students involved in Knight-Thon work to raise funds and awareness for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer while gaining leadership, teamwork and nonprofit business experience. Their efforts culminate annually in a 20-hour Dance Marathon event, uniting 2000+ students and community members around a common cause as they celebrate their year-long fundraising total. Since 1997, Knight-Thon has raised more than $8 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, helping provide life-changing care for pediatric patients and their families. To stay updated on the latest news from Knight-Thon, check out their social media accounts @KnightThonUCF.