Graduate Spotlight: Anni Blair of The Woodlands College Park High School

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Anni Blair moved to the United States from China in 2011. At the time, she had been diagnosed with Sarcoma and had been encouraged to come to Texas for treatment at M.D. Anderson. In all, Anni had 11 cycles of chemotherapy and 31 radiation treatments.

Anni reports that she struggled both socially and with the language her first two years at College Park. She has transitioned well, however. This year, she took English 4 Honors and made an A in the course. Anni is also a College Park Honor graduate.

“Over the years not only has Anni shone academically by graduating in the top 15% of the class, but she has also been an inspiration to her fellow classmates and her teachers,” stated The Woodlands College Park Counselor Cynthia Rehrig.

To help others, Anni has created a Chinese blog where she records her experiences for other Chinese cancer patients. She has encouraged 30 families to come to M. D. Anderson for treatment and meets the families to support them in their treatment journey.

Rehrig commented, “Due to the obstacles she has overcome, she has the respect of the entire College Park family.”

Anni states that her family has been a strong support for her. During her treatment, she became a Christian which also has inspired her. She tries to be positive and upbeat.

“I remember the day Anni enrolled at College Park. She was wearing a scarf because of hair loss due to the treatments. Her English was very limited, and it was obvious she felt very out of place. The confident Anni I see today is as different as the beautiful head of hair that replaced the scarf of several years ago,” says Rehrig.

Anni will be attending University of North Texas majoring in Bio-Medical Engineering. She hopes to be a physician, possibly a surgeon, and would someday like to become involved in local government.