Sandra Greeson, known to students as Ms. Sandra, is a familiar face at McEwen Dining Hall, greeting students five days a week in the mornings and afternoons. Throughout the month of October, Greeson’s smiles and waves are accompanied by breast cancer awareness pins and ribbons on her black Elon Dining shirt.

Greeson was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer four years ago and was the first person in her family to have it. Even through her diagnosis and chemotherapy in 2021, she still worked the McEwen cash register, which she said gave her a drive. 

“I didn’t want to sit home and just mope about myself having cancer,” Greeson said. “I wanted to be strong and show others what it was like to be strong when you have cancer. It’s not just something you set back. You can be strong and move on forward with it.”

When she was first diagnosed, Greeson told the doctor that she wasn’t worried. 

“God’s got this, and I’m strong and I’m not worried about it, and you’re going to get it all,” Greeson said she told the doctor.

Her cancer was stage 1 when doctors discovered it, but it had progressed to stage 2 before they surgically removed it. Greeson said one annual appointment saved her from losing her breasts during her diagnosis. 

“Having my yearly mammogram, that’s where it all started at,” Greeson said. “I have a yearly mammogram, and that’s when they found it. So it’s important to have a mammogram.”

A mammogram is a type of X-ray commonly used to screen for breast cancer. The Mayo Clinic recommends a yearly mammogram starting at age 40.

In 2024, Greeson was surprised with balloons and gifts from her best friend, Jennifer Boggs, to celebrate three years cancer-free. Boggs, who also works in McEwen Dining Hall, said Greeson is somebody she looks up to. 

“In the way that she approached having cancer, she never let it get her down, and she did not want anybody to feel sorry for her,” Boggs said. 

Boggs said she leaned on her faith in God and prayed often for Greeson while her friend battled with cancer.

“I prayed a lot for her and encouraged her,” Boggs said. “But she’s really very strong, and she never let it get her down. She’s amazing.”

Greeson and Boggs both wear breast cancer awareness pins, ribbons and bracelets to their shifts to show their support for the cause. 

Greeson said she knew that God had a plan and wanted her to speak to people who didn’t know about breast cancer — which is exactly what she did. Dressed in a pink breast cancer survivor t-shirt, hot-pink pants and a pink feather boa wrapped around her neck, Greeson was asked to speak at Elon’s Relay for Life 2025, and she is set to again in 2026. 

“If I can save one person from breast cancer, it’s worth it,” Greeson said.