Our Story
In January 2023, Founder/Director Molly Smith was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 21. Throughout treatment, she shared her journey on social media, connecting with other young people going through treatment at the same time. The community for adolescents and young adults seemed fragmented and sometimes hard to reach, and in May of 2024, Mission Mariposa was born to fill this gap. Mission Mariposa is a collective of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors coming together to empower others, share stories, and destigmatize conversations about timely diagnosis. Through our Butterfly Box care packages, Anthem Film, and creating relatable content, Mission Mariposa seeks to build a youth-led survivor-built platform that supports our Mariposas through treatment and beyond.
Meet the team
Molly
Molly Smith is a filmmaker, writer and ovarian cancer survivor from Orlando, FL. In 2020, she was named a Cameron Impact Scholar for her commitment to positive social change through filmmaking. In 2024, she was named one of Her Campus x e.l.f. cosmetics 22 Under 22. She also creates commercial video content with Adolescent Content, working with Meta, Walmart and Credit Karma. She is a senior at Yale University studying American Studies and Spanish.
ABBY
Abby Bryan is a junior in college studying Psychology and Digital Media Production. She is passionate about film, photography, and activism. As Storytelling Strategist, she runs Mission Mariposa’s social media pages and creates content. She loves building a community that understands her own experience as she is currently in remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
CATHERINE
Catherine McCord is a storyteller and award-winning filmmaker based in Central Virginia. She has produced over 100 pieces of social media content that have garnered an audience of 240K+ and over 7M+ views. She was a content producer with RØDE Microphones and directed commercial campaigns that aired on national TV in Australia. If not working on a project, she is most often found sitting around a campfire or getting lost in the mountains.
Sam
Samuel Gonzalez graduated from Rollins College in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in International Business along with a Minor in Spanish and a Minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies. He was an RA for over 2 years, President and Creator of a Social Impact Hub application to facilitate community in Winter Park. Following his graduation, he joined the Bank of New York as a financial analyst. He is passionate about Mission Mariposa after supporting loved ones through cancer treatment.
Sonya
Sonya Narvekar is a cancer survivor and a rising senior at Harvard, majoring in economics. She joined the Mission Mariposa team to build a supportive community for AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) cancer patients and survivors, addressing the gap in information and support available during and after treatment. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her dog, Dusty, diving into good books, and cheering for the New York Knicks!