cervivor school

Cervivor School 2024: Our 10th Year of Patient Advocate Training Success

Marking the 10th anniversary of the first Cervivor School in New York City in 2014, this year’s annual patient advocate training program was a testament to Cervivor’s commitment to empowering patients and survivors to have a voice in their own health. It also solidified Cervivor School’s reputation as a top-tier program that has mobilized advocates worldwide.

The cause colors’ teal and white were on full display throughout the three-day event held in Minneapolis from September 12 to 14. More than 45 attendees – including Cervivor Ambassadors, valued industry sponsors, distinguished speakers, and, of course, the Cervivor School class of 2024 – dyed their hair, painted their nails, and coordinated their outfits to demonstrate their loud-and-proud dedication to Cervivor’s mission: ending cervical cancer through patient advocacy now.

Founder and Chief Visionary, Tamika Felder welcomes attendees to Cervivor School.
Kat Gentner Shaw provides graphic illustrations for class.

By the end, this year’s school was deemed a complete success, with attendees creating meaningful connections and gaining an extensive education – or a refresher – on the latest initiatives and information needed to make the most impact with our advocacy work. This continued success is due to the tireless dedication of Founder and Chief Visionary Tamika Felder, whose unwavering commitment has driven both the program’s impact and longevity. 

Here’s what happened at Cervivor School 2024.

Cervivor School Officially Opens

On Thursday, the official Welcome Reception began at the downtown W Minneapolis – The Foshay, where the weekend’s patient advocate training activities took place. Attendees, dressed to impress, mingled over food and drinks and were welcomed by Cervivor’s founder Tamika, a 23-year cervical cancer survivor herself.

Kimbery and Linda snap a selfie at the welcome reception.
Members of Cervivor Español mingle at the welcome reception.

The following morning, Tamika kicked things off with a powerful presentation about her “why” – the driving force behind her patient advocacy and the reason she founded Cervivor almost 20 years ago. She cited a quote from Dr. Heather Palmer that resonated deeply with the group, garnering many knowing nods: “Cancer is a gift wrapped in barbed wire.”

Mallory Erickson presents on fundraising.
Roshanda Pratt teaches attendees powerful media tips.

Among the day’s speakers: 

  • Mallory Erickson, fundraising expert and host of the “What the Fundraising” podcast (featuring Tamika in an early episode!), led a session introduced by Cervivor Ambassador Karen North, who shared some of her fundraising successes including a creative and profitable drag bingo event she organized. 
  • Roshanda Pratt, acclaimed motivational speaker, book author, and media maven of “The Ro Show Live,” followed with a hilarious and insightful presentation on strategic storytelling. She highlighted why sharing our survivor stories is vital: It connects us, prompts action, and provides context. 
  • Members of Team Cervivor were interspersed throughout the day including Community Liaison Morgan Newman, who thoroughly unpacked Cervivor’s mission and patient advocacy approach, and Lead Cervivor Ambassador Carol Lacey, who moderated a panel of Cervivor Ambassadors – Lindsay Gullatte-Lee, Christy Chambers, and Claudia Pérez-Favela.

Day 2’s official programming concluded with an open discussion, allowing attendees to reflect on the emotional journey of survivorship.

Diving Into the Data

The final day of the intensive patient advocate training program focused on learning about ongoing initiatives from pharmaceutical companies, researchers, the federal government, as well as legislative efforts. The goal? Connect the Cervivor School attendees to the broader global advocacy work that still lies ahead.

Dr. Allison Garda gives attendees the CervicalCancer 101.
Nikki Hayes encourages attendees to continue advocacy with health equity at the forefront.

Among the day’s speakers: 

Additionally, Cervivor community members participated in thought-provoking panels, including one moderated by our DEI chief Kimberly Williams with Karla Chávez and Claudia Pérez-Favela, aimed at dismantling the damaging stigma that prevents too many people from getting the care and support they deserve. Cervivor Ambassadors Tiera Wade, Emily Hoffman, and Anne Zajic also shared how they’ve harnessed their unique strengths and perspectives to advocate effectively through Cervivor.

Karla Chavez, Shelly Dusic, and Kimberly Williams discuss Stigma Elimination in cervical cancer.
Tiera Wade, Anne Zajic, and Emily Hoffman share their insights as Cervivor Ambassadors.

Rewarding Cervivor’s Outstanding Advocates

Cervivor School concluded with a momentous graduation ceremony, followed by a special recognition ceremony, where five outstanding individuals were honored for their exceptional dedication to Cervivor’s mission to end cervical cancer. Our founder Tamika proudly presented these remarkable individuals with awards, acknowledging their tireless efforts in spreading awareness, supporting survivors, and advancing the Cervivor mission. (Read more about the patient advocacy award winners.) This milestone marks the beginning of a new chapter for these empowered advocates, making a lasting impact in their communities. 

Thank You Again to Our Sponsors, Speakers, and Supporters

This year’s Cervivor School was made possible by the generous support of Hologic, which provided beautiful and useful goodie bags for all attendees, as well as our sponsors Pfizer, Genmab, Genentech, BD, and Roche. We also owe a heartfelt thank you to the speakers who dedicated their time and expertise throughout the weekend.

The 2024 Cervivor School Graduates, Mentors, and Cervivor Team

We’d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the generous companies and individuals who helped make Cervivor School 2024 an empowering experience for our attendees. Special thanks to The Business Women’s Circle (BWC), led by Lani Basa, for cultivating a supportive community that fuels growth and collaboration, as well as Heather Bantle, Executive & Transitions Coach, for her expertise in guiding individuals through life’s challenges. Additionally, we thank WAY the Label for their sustainable accessories, and KickIt Pajamas for providing their cozy, functional, and stylish KickIt socks that bring warmth and comfort to cancer patients. 

Want to Attend Cervivor School in the Future? 

To secure your seat at one of Cervivor’s future patient advocate training programs, we encourage you to commit to cervical cancer patient advocacy and expanding the Cervivor Footprint. Visit our Cervivor School page to sign up for updates, or subscribe to our newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of this page – and be the first to know about our important initiatives!

Closing the Door on 2023

We are just hours from closing the door on 2023 and jumping into 2024 with a jam-packed Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM)! Can we count on you to join us? But first, let’s check out some of the impact you have helped us achieve in 2023. Please take a moment to read Founder and Chief Visionary, Tamika Felder’s special newsletter and watch the video below.

Beyond this video, the Cervivor Community has…

  • Hosted in-person events like our Cervical Cancer Summit in New York City, kicking off with Founder and Chief Visionary, Tamika Felder, ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq; Hosting the Communities of Color Retreat in Washington, D.C., and we headed to the Pacific Northwest for Cervivor School Seattle where we celebrated 21 new graduates and awarded 5 new Cervivor Champions!
  • The Comfort Care & Compassion Program served over 300 individuals impacted by cervical cancer.
  • Inspired, supported, and empowered hundreds of cervical cancer patients and survivors from around the world to share their stories.
  • The addition of a Cervivor staff member, Kimberly Williams, as the Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, was a position to make it clear on our commitment for health equity and closing the disparity gaps. Cervivor Noir,Cervivor Asian and Pacific Islanders, Cervivor Africa, Cervivor Caribbean, and a group for LGBTQIA+ Survivorswere developed, and the expansion of our private groups to include more safe spaces for necessary conversations and support. 
  • We continued to host many meaningful conversations through our monthly Creating Connections support group held every second Tuesday.
  • Season 3 of the Cervivor Podcast was launched in January with Joslyn Paguio returning as the host. The podcast has now reached listeners in 50 countries! Be sure to follow Cervivor Podcast on your preferred listening platform and check out the last episode of Season 3 featuring Team Cervivor here.
  • Virtual events were elevated by the creation of Below the Belt Conversations, HPV Cancer Survivors Connect to strengthen support beyond cervical cancer so that no one feels alone from any HPV-related cancer, and a virtual Advocacy Retreat for Communities of Color allowing several women from Africa and the Caribbean to join the discussion.
  • Continued with daily motivation, fit tips, and monthly challenges powered by Survivor Slimdown to over 452 cancer survivors in our private Facebook community. A huge thank you to both Hearts Bio and the University of North Carolina Weight Research Program for their continuous partnerships. 
  • In addition to using our voices to participate in various research studies, raising awareness in media interviews, and guiding new legislation, we gained the opportunity to serve as patient advocates for various committees and task forces through the White House’s Cancer Moonshot, President’s Cancer Panel, National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Cervical Cancer Roundtable, and the World Health Organization.
  • Founder and Chief Visionary, Tamika Felder, and Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, Kimberly Williams were recognized by the American Cancer Society National HPV Vaccination Roundtable for Mentor/Mentee and Lived Experience Ambassador awards.
  • We became a member of the Union for International Cancer Control to further our commitment to our global advocacy work.
  • Hosted an intern from the historic HBCU Claflin University, Summer Edmond, who is majoring in Public Relations and was part of our strategic planning behind the scenes.
  • And we celebrated the #CervivorBaby’s first birthday! (That year went by pretty fast!)

As we reflect on the accomplishments of 2023, we are profoundly grateful for the generosity that has enabled us to make significant strides in achieving our mission – to our monthly donors, our one-time donors, and our incredible fundraising volunteers, we appreciate your support always. We would like to thank our generous sponsors who have helped support us through 2023: Hologic, Seagen, Genentech, Genmab, Roche, St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program, and Regeneron.

And as we transition into 2024, Cervivor, Inc. remains dedicated to its commitment to ending cervical cancer. Our community has been the driving force behind our achievements, and we recognize that none of this would be possible without your ongoing support and generosity. We wish to remind you that there is still time to make a tax-deductible year-end contribution. Your support will contribute to furthering the initiatives that have represented our efforts in 2023. 

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to your continued support as we strive to make a meaningful difference in the mission to end cervical cancer.

With Gratitude,
Tamika Felder, Founder & Chief Visionary
Morgan Newman, MSW, Community Engagement Liaison
Kimberly Williams, MHCM, Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer
Team Cervivor