Written By: Keona Montague and Roman Sciote

THON™ would not be possible without the many captains, student volunteers, alumni and many other individuals. For this blog we are highlighting the Public Relations Liaison on the Family Relations committee, Julia Sultana. This is Julia’s first year as a captain, and in her role, she works closely with the families to write and share their unique stories both inside and outside of THON.  

During the summer, Julia worked with a few families on Zoom and was then able to meet them in person at Harvest Day and other family events this year. Along with this, Julia puts together the Family Education Program, the program featuring a Family Story each week, and is shared in both the THON captain and committee meetings. The family stories are just like they sound; they are stories from families who are generous enough to share their journey with all the committees involved with THON. As a result, Julia says she constantly reaches out to the families involved and is updated on their lives all the time. She says nothing makes her happier than hearing the incredible and unique stories from all the different families. 

During THON Weekend, she works closely with PR’s Media Relations Team to facilitate interviews with families and external media outlets. Outside of working with her Family Relations co-captains, she works primarily with other Public Relations, specifically Media Relations, Captains.  

Julia’s favorite THON memories are meeting the families on the floor when she danced in THON 2022, as well as getting to watch the DR Captains perform the line dance on stage. When we asked Julia why she THON’s she said, “I THON for more smiles!!” 

Julia described how she loved getting to connect with Four Diamonds families in her role. She loved being able to share their stories with volunteers and remind the THON community of why we THON and THON’s powerful mission. One thing she cherished about her experience as captain so far was the memories that she has made that will not be forgotten any time soon.  

Julia loves being on Family Relations because she loves, “spending time with families at events and facilitating interactions between families and THON Volunteers!”. Julia said that this upcoming THON Weekend is not only her first THON as a captain, but her last Weekend ever. She is excited for the unique magic and excitement that comes with THON Weekend.