‘Light Up the Night’: A Meaningful Cancer Memorial—and a Radiant Showcase of SMC Women in STEM

If you happened to be crossing De La Salle Quad one evening in May, you would have encountered a radiant sight: dozens of glowing luminarias lighting the path to De La Salle Hall. They were placed by participants of “Light Up the Night,” an event hosted on May 5 by the SMC Against Cancer Club and Women in Science and Engineering, and made possible by a donation from the American Cancer Society. Each luminaria honored a loved one lost to or affected by cancer.

While “Light Up the Night” provided the Saint Mary’s community with a space and time to memorialize loved ones, it also proved to be a showcase of women in STEM. On campus and out in the world, Gaels are raising vital awareness and conducting groundbreaking cancer research. 

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The heartbeat and organizer of the event was Isabella Gomez-Vidal ’25, a Biology major and then-President of SMC Against Cancer club. When Gomez-Vidal was 13, she lost her grandmother to cancer. It was that loss that spurred her to join SMC Against Cancer and advocate for cancer prevention and knowledge.

During her sophomore and junior years at Saint Mary’s, Gomez-Vidal served as the club’s educational manager, crafting and sharing information flyers. She also volunteered with Kaiser Permanente’s Oncology Department, working directly with inpatients. Upon becoming president of SMC Against Cancer as a senior, she organized numerous events, including Paint the SMC Pink, Holiday Card Making, and more. 

For Gomez-Vidal, “Light Up the Night” was a culmination of her efforts at SMC. In the coming years, she intends to pursue medical school and, eventually, become a pediatric oncologist. But on May 5, as she shared her remarks, she took time to remember her grandmother. “No matter what differences that we have, we can all come together to prevent cancer and to commemorate the ones that we've lost, [or those] currently battling cancer,” she said.

Illuminating research

The night was kicked off by Sonya Schuh, a professor of Biology at SMC and a leading researcher of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)—natural and manmade substances that can act as “hormone hijackers” in the body and have been linked to cancer and various developmental and reproductive problems. Specifically, Schuh has studied the harmful effects of unregulated toxins in beauty, personal care, and other products.

Her work has garnered public attention: In 2022, for instance, she and her all-women student research team were featured in the HBO Max docu-series Not So Pretty. Last October, the Association for Women in Science presented Schuh with the Judith Pool Award for her outstanding research and mentorship of women in STEM.

In her keynote address for “Light Up the Night,” Schuh gave a broad overview of cancer, its forms and causes, and current and future research and therapies. Given the audience—a mix of students, staff, faculty, and families—she aimed to balance “the scientific with the personal,” she says, “drawing on my own experience with family members dealing with breast cancer and cervical cancer.” 

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Schuh wove in her own research on endocrine disrupting chemicals. She also shouted out another Gael scientist: Khameeka Kitt-Hopper ’02, an associate professor of Biology, whose work centers on some of the molecular mechanisms of breast and prostate cancer.

Schuh concluded by providing actionable steps toward limiting cancer risk, like substituting metal or glass for plastics when possible and using free screening apps like Yuka to scan products for their ingredients and impact on your health before purchasing them. In many ways, vetted information about cancerous toxins has never been more accessible, she says: “I feel like it's a critical time for people to become more aware and proactive about what they can do to help take their health into their own hands.”

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Making strides

The other guest speaker for the evening was a former student of Schuh’s, Fiona Quimby ’22. Since graduating, Quimby has worked as an Assistant Specialist in Radiology at the University of California, San Francisco. Under the leadership of radiologist Michael Evans, Quimby worked as part of a team developing a new radiotherapy drug that specifically targets cancer cells without damaging healthy tissues. It’s a method that will transform “the future of cancer treatment,” she says.

In July, Quimby headed for Colorado to begin medical school at the University of Denver. She credits her time at SMC with equipping her for her scientific career thus far. 

“I did a lot of research at Saint Mary's that was kind of unique to some other undergrads,” she says. “You get that very one-on-one time with your professor, and you're working on a project together. A lot of other bigger schools don't quite offer that.” 

“Light Up the Night” concluded in illumination. Attendees were encouraged to decorate, draw, and write the names of loved ones affected by cancer on paper bags. Then, their luminarias were lit and placed in rows outside of De La Salle Hall. It was a beautiful, tangible memorial, one that honored while also gesturing toward a brighter, more hopeful future.

After all, that future will be made possible, in large part, by scientists and advocates like Isabella Gomez-Vidal, Fiona Quimby, and Sonya Schuh. And while the event would have been meaningful at any moment, for Schuh, it felt especially timely. 

“At a time when cancer rates are rising and support and funding of science and cancer research are falling,” she says, “this collaborative event was exactly the kind of awareness and programming that colleges and universities need right now.”

Katie Hayek ’28 is a Student Writer with the Office of Marketing and Communication at Saint Mary’s. Write her.