Sophomores Campaigning for Student Visionaries of the Year

For Krisha Thakkar and Sonaya Arora, the Student Visionaries of the Year program is less about the title and more about the lives they can impact. The two Pine-Richland High School sophomores have officially launched their 2026 campaign under the team name “Red Ribbon Alliance,” setting an ambitious goal to raise $25,000 for Blood Cancer United (formerly Leukemia & Lymphoma Society).

The Student Visionaries of the Year program, which runs from February 6 through March 29, challenges high school students to lead professional-level fundraising campaigns. For this duo, the motivation is personal.

Sonaya’s commitment to the cause stems from a recent loss. Her aunt, who had been undergoing treatment for leukemia, passed away over winter break. "I'm doing it for her," said Sonaya, noting that she and Krisha want their funds specifically directed toward patient treatment and support.

Krisha’s drive comes from an interest in healthcare equity. "I would never want a kid to not have treatment because of finances," she said. "At the end of the day, we just want to help people."

Both candidates are active in speech and debate and tennis and bring a wealth of experience to the Red Ribbon Alliance in community service, outreach and health. Krisha serves as a captain for Mini-Thon, a philanthropic student organization. Sonaya credits working with the National Kidney Foundation for teaching her the logistics of fundraising and outreach. 

Together, Sonaya and Krisha started a chapter of the Health and Financial Literacy (HFL)  initiative at PRHS. The club recently worked with the Critical Kindness organization to create and deliver care kits for ICU patients. Sonaya is the Pittsburgh region president of Critical Kindness and serves as an officer in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). Of her overlapping interests, Sonaya said, “They fit really beautifully with this program.”

The Red Ribbon Alliance, a four-person team that includes sophomores Saanvi Santpure and Abheek Tuladhar, as well as Diya Thakkar and Sia Asher, is planning different fundraising approaches over the next seven weeks, including working with local businesses and potential community events, to hit their $25,000 goal.

"It's less about the competition and more about raising money," Sonaya emphasized.

Visit https://pages.lls.org/svoy/wpa/svoypitt26/TeamPineRichland or https://www.instagram.com/redribbonalliance_2026 to help support Red Ribbon Alliance!