It was an intense wrestling practice. The room felt like a sauna. Sweat was steaming off of the hard-working athletes. The team was preparing for a tough tournament that they would attend the following weekend, and everyone was anxious. The only thing I remembered from that day was the face of the person I was wrestling. The rest was a blur.

Most people grow up slowly, experiencing life in small doses: making mistakes and then making them again, until they finally learn. Sophomore Katya Simpson didn’t get that luxury.

It happened quickly. One week last fall Simpson was a regular student. The next she underwent a surgery to remove a life-threatening brain tumor that changed her life forever.