From Four Diamonds child to dancer

Tucker Haas was diagnosed with an aggressive form of sarcoma when he was just two years old. He became involved with Penn State as a Four Diamonds child when he was undergoing treatment, which began a 20-year journey with Penn State THON and the fraternity that became his adoptive family.

Haas, a 2023 graduate of the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management program, continues to serve THON, the community, and most importantly, kids facing childhood cancer. He encourages other undergraduate students to pursue volunteer and service opportunities as often as they can.

As a student at Penn State, Haas became a brother with Alpha Tau Omega fraternity (ATΩ), the same leadership development fraternity that adopted him as a Four Diamonds child. He served as the THON family relations chair for ATΩ during his junior year.

As the family relations chair, Haas helped the fraternity adopt a new Four Diamonds child who had a similar form of sarcoma that Haas had as a child.

For THON 2023, Haas was one of the chairs for ATΩ and participated as a dancer. He had the opportunity to dance at THON, just as he did as a child in treatment for cancer two decades ago.

“THON 2023 was a full circle moment,” Haas said. “For me, my cancer journey isn’t just a story, it’s my life. And while it’s a story that can impact a lot of people, it was really cool that I could share a piece of my life with other kids who are living it, just like I did.”

As a patient at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Haas’s treatments were supported by Four Diamonds, a non-profit fund connected to the hospital that covers 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care that are not covered by insurance for eligible children. Since 1977, THON has raised over $200 million to support Four Diamonds families and fight childhood cancer.

Tucker with fellow student wearing a shirt saying "Not Tuckered Out"

After a spate of treatments and surgeries, Haas is cancer-free, but his journey with THON was far from over.

“During THON 2023, my 20th THON, I danced the 46 hours. I focused on being grateful for the past 20 years of what THON has given me,” Haas said. “Growing up, I had these brothers and sisters from ATΩ that I looked up to and could turn to when things got hard. I knew they would always be there. Then as a student, I was able to do that for someone else.”

Haas returned to State College as an alumnus for THON 2024, now his 21st THON.

Because of the University’s impact on his young life, Haas knew he wanted to come to Penn State for his undergraduate education and to continue his involvement with THON.

As a young alumnus, Haas continues to share his story and help people through their own challenges. He is working toward being a motivational speaker, and he recently launched the Tucker Haas Foundation, a nonprofit that supports cancer survivors in their next endeavors. College scholarships, tutoring services, therapy, and adaptive sporting equipment are all among the things he’d like to provide.

For Haas, the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management degree program gave him the opportunity to learn the sports industry while also allowing him to prioritize THON and service to children whose experience he understands better than most.

“College is obviously about working hard in classes and getting good grades, but I have learned in my life that it is also important to prioritize service and giving back. You learn about yourself when you’re giving back to others. You grow as a person and come to understand the impact that you can have. That’s something you can’t live without,” Haas said.

“Being a Penn State student is an awesome opportunity and there are so many experiences to take advantage of. It can be overwhelming to put yourself out there, but I have found that Penn State is one of the most accepting places.”

“Being a Penn State student is an awesome opportunity, and there are so many experiences to take advantage of. It can be overwhelming to put yourself out there, but I have found that Penn State is one of the most accepting places.”