Leadership in the University’s Largest Student Organization

Honors Students Make a Difference Through Dance Marathon

By Emily Pavlik

The first time Jessica Treinen attended Dance Marathon’s Big Event at the University of Iowa was with her family in 2017. The year before, her three-year-old brother had been diagnosed with Leukemia. 

At the event, a gathering to honor over 1,000 families who have been impacted by pediatric cancer, Treinen had the opportunity to experience what the organization was all about. It made a lasting impression. 

“When I committed to Iowa, Dance Marathon was at the top of my list for student organizations I wanted to join,” recalled Treinen, now a second-year music performance and pre-business major. 

The University of Iowa Dance Marathon, which fundraises for the pediatric cancer patients on the 11th floor of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, IA, is the largest student organization on campus. The money it raises goes towards families’ pharmacy co-pays, gift cards to restaurants, parking, and more. One of the proudest contributions of the organization is funding two new staff positions on Level 11 for patient care and pediatric oncology research.

The Big Event, which takes place in the first weekend of February, is the largest fundraising effort for Dance Marathon. Participating student honor impacted families by staying awake for 24 hours, which culminates in everyone coming together to celebrate the amount of money raised. That number was $1,558,324.31 in 2025.

Many students get involved in the organization to play a role in helping others. For Treinen, whose brother is now five years cancer-free, there is also a strong personal connection to the cause. Building on her childhood memory of attending with her family, she joined the organization during her first year at Iowa. 

The 2025 Big Event was such a positive experience, it prompted her to apply for leadership. She now serves as a Lime Captain, a team leader who encourages fundraising to attend the annual Big Event. 

“It takes a huge team of people doing their best to make the Big Event possible, so everyday I strive to be the best I can in my studies and for the organization,” said Treinen.

Fourth-year student Campbell Wood is the executive director of Dance Marathon. Although she does not have a personal connection to the cause, Wood has found a home in the organization. She said the relationships she has made with the people in Dance Marathon have been the most rewarding aspect of the community.

“It’s just such a place of love, joy, energy, hope and magic,” Wood said. “It’s everything [that] I am. I kept investing more time, and good things kept coming back to me.”

Wood has been a part of Dance Marathon for four years, where she has been able to watch people’s lives change through this club.

“I think it’s just a magical thing to watch people care for others, do something selflessly, and look after the community and people they don’t even know,” Wood said. “This is a place where that connection is so deep that you don’t need to be there to even feel it.”

Honors Program Student Engagement Coordinator Madison Schulte said that involvement in university extracurriculars can strongly benefit the honors student college experience. Growing out of her own experience as an undergraduate as well as her professional training, Schulte aims is to help students find their place in student organizations on campus.

“I found a lot of value in all of the things that I did outside the class,” Schulte said. “It was always my goal to help students find that for themselves as well.”

Dance Marathon stands out compared to other student organizations on campus for its marketing to students, according to Schulte. It overlaps with Greek life and the Campus Activities Board, which add to the recognition of this organization.

“Students often hear about [Dance Marathon] before they even step foot on campus,” said Schulte, who also pointed to its status as a nationwide organization. 

The Honors Program supports student engagement in organizations such as Dance Marathon through the experiential learning curriculum and reflection process. “I think we’re encouraging students to get more out of what they’re already interested in doing,” Schulte said.

For University Honors, students must earn a total of 12 honors credits in experiential learning. Wood said that her path in Dance Marathon dovetails well with the experiential learning component of the honors curriculum. 

“Being able to also count [Dance Marathon leadership] towards my Honors Program [credit] is something special as well, and something that motivates me,” Wood said. 

She also values seeing others find meaning in the community. “I see people finding their passion and their love for this organization, and it just makes my heart grow a little more for it,” Wood said.

Leadership experiences such as Wood’s work with Dance Marathon can make a major impact on a student’s personal and professional development, as well as a contribution to the community.

“The thing about college is we’re here for four, maybe plus or minus a couple of years, and you don’t get that much time to really leave a legacy behind, so do as much as you can while you’re here,” Wood advised. “Taking advantage of this time is a great opportunity to grow and learn as you go.”