Fay Koyfman '24

Fay Koyfman '24 of Seattle, Washington, who is majoring in chemistry and Russian, is making a difference as the Gift of Life Marrow Registry college campus ambassador.

Fay explains that Gift of Life registry seeks to help BIPOC individuals and communities who are disproportionately disadvantaged find donor matches for bone marrow transplants. According to the statistics, 55 percent of Hispanic/Latino patients cannot find a matching donor, neither can 60 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander patients or 75 percent of African American/ Black communities.  

“I got involved during my gap year where I saw a tabling event like the ones I do on campus,” says Fay “The goal is to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity for treatments and cures. This resonated with me because I am interested in medicine and specifically making sure there is equity in medicine.”  

Fay’s job as a campus ambassador is crucial because the best ages for donation are 18 to 35 years old. In her role, she helps students on campus get educated about the registry and why it is important to join. Her tasks consist of running marrow swab drives, tabling, testing, and connecting with on-campus organizations, such as student clubs, to join forces and get more students interested in helping to save lives.  

At a drive she ran last semester at the AMO market night, a student matched with a 70-year-old woman battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 

When asked what she wants to do after Bryn Mawr, Fay says she hopes to attend medical school where her goal will be to work with unrepresented communities.  

“I think it was specifically important to bring the Gift of Life Marrow Registry to the Bryn Mawr campus because the registry is about providing equity and inclusion to unrepresented individuals—this is what we at Bryn Mawr care about and it's a great cause.” 

Know about a Mawrter making a difference? Send us an email at news@brynmawr.edu