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Home > Featured Stories > Community of Scholars > April 2008 > Solidarity for SchultzSolidarity for Schultz
Nick is the kind of person who is always there for anyone who needs him.
Senior Dane Emmerling, one of the organizers of Thursday's event
Nick Schultz celebrates his Leader of the Pack award with parents Gary and Sue.
FROM THE TECHNICIAN: Audio/Photo Slideshow
By Dave Pond, Web Communication
With clippers in hand, friends, classmates and strangers alike came together Thursday, April 3, to rally around 2007-08 Leader of the Pack and Caldwell Scholar Nick Schultz, who was diagnosed with leukemia in March.
"Nick is a well-rounded young man who gives back to the community in a lot of different ways," said Mike Giancola, director of Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service. "He has achieved a lot during his time here at NC State, but he's very humble about all those accomplishments.
"Nick has been involved in several alternative service break trips at NC State, and he was a leader on our Habitat trip to the Dominican Republic last year," he said. "When you get to know him, you understand the depth of his character and service.
"He definitely has a lead-by-example style to him, and he's very effective in that role."
To that end, Schultz and event organizers encourage supporters to attend a campus-wide bone marrow registry, to be held Monday, April 14, from 3-7 p.m. in the Brown Room of Talley Student Center.
fter returning from a spring break service trip to Florida, Schultz – already taking antibiotics for what doctors originally thought was bronchitis – returned to the doctor for bloodwork because his condition had failed to improve. He was quickly referred to the Cancer Center at Rex Hospital, and transferred to Duke the next day to begin treatment for leukemia.
Dane Emmerling and Vansana Nolintha, friends who helped organize Thursday's benefit, said that their initial idea was for a few of Nick's buddies to shave their heads in support of their friend. Once word began to spread, the event grew to become something truly befitting of a person who gives so much to others.
"We definitely don't want the emphasis to be on shaving heads," Schultz said. "To me, it's more of a get-together for friends and others to raise awareness about the reality of leukemia and to show support in general."
A Facebook event listing has already garnered dozens of supporters, all who are willing to lose their locks and give of their time and money to support a fellow member of the NC State family.
"Nick is the kind of person who is always there for anyone who needs him," Emmerling said. "When he got sick, we got countless phone calls from people asking what they could do for Nick, how they could help and if Nick's family needed anything."
In addition to fundraising and the symbolic shaving of heads, Emmerling and Nolintha hope to also raise awareness about the National Marrow Donor Program, which provides needy patients – possibly to include Schultz – access to more than 11 million donors and cord blood units around the world.
Schultz and Anna Louise Patton were honored this year based on academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal interviews, written essays on their leadership and service experience as well as a student-body vote.
"Nick is just a great, great guy," Giancola said. "I think the thing that most defines him is just his commitment to service.
"Another way to describe Nick is to look at the quality of friends that he has," he said. "He is surrounded a great support system, and that's just a tribute to the type of friend that Nick is to so many."
For more information, or if you cannot attend the Bone Marrow Typing on April 14 but would like to be typed or help raise support for Schultz's family, contact Emmerling by email or phone at (252) 916-8559.
