We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nancy Sovran. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nancy below.

Nancy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

When Wish Upon a Teen designed my daughter, Hope’s hospital room in 2012 just after she had a bone marrow transplant and she was so sick. Having her hospital room made a huge impact on her. I decided to volunteer, I met, Michelle Scerbo, the founder and she was very supportive and very inspiring. She realized that I could help Wish Upon a Teen grow, even before I realized it! She fostered an atmosphere that we could take chances and it’s ok if something didn’t work, it would the next time. Since 2014 I have been the executive director at Wish Upon a Teen and I thank Michelle for getting me this incredible opportunity to make a difference.

Nancy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am from Metro Detroit, growing up in Southfield. My husband, Andrew and I , have nine children. I met
Wish Upon a Teen in 2012 when they decorated our young daughter, Hope’s hospital room after she received a bone marrow transplant at CS Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. Being able see our daughters spirits lift after a simple act of decorating a hospital room, I knew there was something special about Wish Upon a Teen. Soon, I began volunteering with the organization and after a year, I took a full time job, doing what I love most, making a difference one teen at a time.

Wish Upon A Teen’s focus is on making teenage lives as normal as possible, regardless of their health issues, while helping them address the new circumstances and situations they find themselves in – from dealing with hair loss due to chemotherapy to learning coping strategies for dealing with extended periods of hospitalization. We do this through our design my room program, spa days, our Annual Evening of Dreams Prom and various family outings. All of which make a noticeable difference in the lives of many teenagers across the United States.

With have strong ties in the community, I bring a belief in ”making a difference” to every teen through Wish Upon a Teen.
As Executive Director since 2014, I work closely with hospitals, businesses and civic groups. Under my direction, Wish Upon a Teen grew from having six hospital partners to 86.

Knowing what it is like to be on the other side as a parent of a very sick teen, it gives me a unique insight to what they are going through. We are part of a club no one wants to belong to. I am able to help so many people because of my love for what I do and for what Wish Upon a Teen means to so many.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I mean I know it’s been told many times, but going through a pandemic really makes you feel like you’re not really doing anything right in regards to the teens. We were unable to have fundraisers, and teens were needing us more than ever. So we dropped or shipped all the items to the hospitals so they could decorate the hospital rooms and we did a lot of online events. During this time it was so very hard for our teens, the isolation. We are currently working hard to have our first fundraisers post pandemic!

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

ABSOLUTELY 100%. I love working with teens and their families. Helping them during a difficult journey and making a difference is what it’s all about. I am so very grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wishuponateen.org
• Instagram: @wishuponateen
• Facebook: Wish Upon a Teen

Image Credits
@christinaangeliphotography – my headshot