Dance Marathon and its support for Children's Miracle Network (CMN) are personal for Heather Callahan-Williams. She credits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), a CMN hospital, for saving her life. The hospital helped her through various health ailments from intestinal issues to small lymphocytic lymphoma, cancer that affects white blood cells.
So it was only fitting that on her first day as a student at the University of North Georgia (UNG) Callahan-Williams received approval to start a student organization that would support Dance Marathon. As executive director, she coordinated the UNG group's participation in Dance Marathon at the University of Georgia her first two years of college.
UNG launched its own Dance Marathon during her third year in 2017-18. Callahan-Williams and the group, now called Miracle UNG, set a goal to raise $20,000 that school year. The group collected more than $42,000 for CHOA and was named Best New Dance Marathon. Over the first two years, Callahan-Williams personally raised more than $1,800 for Dance Marathon while the group totaled more than $95,000 in that same time.
For her efforts, she won the 2019 Miracle Network Dance Marathon Distinguished Leadership Award. Callahan-Williams graduated in December 2019 with a degree in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science.
"My favorite part of leading Dance Marathon was watching it grow and flourish into something I never really imagined. I watched people find a passion for CHOA as I had, and that was amazing to see," Callahan-Williams said. "Going into starting my organization, I had low expectations. High wants and dreams, but I didn't know how things would work out. I feared that Miracle UNG would graduate when I did. And now I know that it won't, which makes me happy. And I can't wait to see how Miracle grows in the years to come."
Callahan-Williams said challenges are inherent to fundraising efforts such as Dance Marathon. She said it's easy to get caught up in the numbers or small disagreements, but a focused strategy helps her avoid those pitfalls.
"The big thing is to remember your why," Callahan-Williams said.
In addition to Dance Marathon, she was active in the Wesley student ministry, where she served on the hospitality committee, and Delta Phi Epsilon International Sorority, where she co-chaired community service efforts from 2017-19.
Callahan-Williams appreciated the support of her kinesiology faculty members at UNG as she dealt with different illnesses.
"I've faced many challenges in the last several years. Challenges with my health, challenges in my personal life, and just regular college stress. But all of those challenges have shown me what life is really about and how I want to live," she said.
Callahan-Williams started work on a graduate degree in physical therapy in May 2020.
"With physical therapy, you can see patients make so many strides, and miracles happen," she said. "I've been in PT, and I've witnessed these miracles, and I believe that physical therapy is a field through which I can make a difference in the world. I believe I can help people realize, during their worst times, the strengths they may not know they have and watch as they make amazing progress."
