Welcome to our first Tiger Spotlight, a place to showcase the great things our students are doing outside the district.
While we regularly celebrate students for athletic and theatre accomplishments, good attendance, high grades, PBIS awards, and more, we wanted to start a new series that highlights the interesting things our students do outside of school, on their own time.
We are excited to share their stories and are pleased to introduce our first Tiger Spotlight about Stella Burwell, a fourth grade student at Harmony Hill School, who is the newest official ambassador for the Real Kids Wear Pink (RKWP) campaign that raises funds and awareness for cancer research.
Stella became involved with RKWP five years ago when she met founder Carli O’Hara (also a Harmony Hill alum and CHS graduate of 2024), who began mentoring her in sports.
As they got to know each other, Stella began to look up to Carli, not just as an athlete, but as a role model.
Seeing a teenager give back so much to her community inspired Stella to do the same. She enthusiastically showed support for RKWP by wearing pink, purchasing merchandise, donating and participating in fundraisers and other events.
Her hard work paid off, because in October 2025, Carli named Stella ambassador of RKWP, a role she takes very seriously.
With help from her mother, they created a flyer that was posted to social media to help raise funds that are donated directly to the American Cancer Society.
It said, in part, “I want to raise money so people who are fighting cancer know they are not alone. Every dollar raised helps bring us closer to a world without cancer, and I believe even kids can make a big impact when we work together. I’m proud to wear pink, stand up for others, and be part of this amazing cause. Together, we can help save lives and spread hope.”
As a regular at Babe’s Café in Cohoes, Stella asked the owners if she could place a donation bucket at the register, to which they agreed. Between that and the flyer, she was able to raise several hundred dollars for cancer research.
Other duties include contributing fundraising ideas, organizing and participating in local events. Stella was also featured in the RKWP documentary, has appeared on the news, and modeled for their branding materials. This year, ambassadors will also be writing letters to cancer patients and survivors.
This is an exciting year for RKWP as they gear up to celebrate their 10th anniversary with a bold fundraising goal and fun initiatives currently being planned. As for Stella, she and her friends plan to host “Pie the Principal” again at Harmony Hill this October and she is also coordinating a Panera fundraising night, among other ideas that she can’t quite share just yet. #TigerPride
Has your child done something extraordinary outside of school that we can feature in Tiger Spotlight? To be considered, please fill out this Student Nomination Form.