5 Good Things: A proud phone, free tuition, a woman beating cancer, and more – CNN 5 Things

hey there! At CNN, we believe in keeping you up to date with what's happening in the world. However, we get it. Sometimes there may be a lot to accept. That's why we're trying to switch things up. Starting today and every Saturday, we'll take a break from breaking news and focus on stories that remind us of the good things happening. You know, the kind that brings a smile to your face. Maybe you'll laugh a little. I hear the voices of really cute kids who are so proud of themselves. Additionally, this week changed the lives of some medical students.

There's no need to hold two jobs. I can now concentrate more on my studies. You'll be able to focus more on what you're passionate about.

CNN's Krista Boe. This time he is 5 good things.

Hello, may I speak to Duchess Meghan? Hello, can I speak to Vicki? Hello, can I speak to Daniel?

Receiving a call from the principal's office is usually not a good thing. An elementary school in upstate New York is focusing on having kids call home to tell them the good news.

Please tell mom why you called.

I received an exciting phone call!

Oh honey, that's really amazing. I'm so proud of you.

I'm so proud of you, Bud.

Richard Mann Elementary School has a really great program where groups of students call their parents or guardians and tell them all about their good deeds and accomplishments at school.

I'm kind to others, really motivated and organized.

As a responsible helper with a positive attitude.

And I did the best on the reading comprehension test.

Did you read well?

I was the perfect person to do it.

It's called the “Proud Calls Program” and will be led by Principal Katie Lamb.

It is important that all children come to school every day and feel like they belong. We don't have to win big awards or pass tests to be proud of our students at school.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine students received the gift of a lifetime earlier this week.

We are pleased to announce that starting August of this year, tuition at Albert Einstein College of Medicine will be free.

Tuition will now be free for all students thanks to a historic $1 billion gift from former faculty member Dr. Ruth Gottsman. While this is definitely a dream for the students, for some it means the world to their families.

I'm trying to send money home to my mom, and I plan to help take care of her after I finish medical school. So the first person I called was her.

Trevor Barker is a first year student at the school. He has taken out loans, receives SNAP benefits, and holds two part-time jobs.

My mother is a very spiritual person, so I prayed about this for a long time and she was very happy about it. When it really hit her, she just broke down and started crying.

Samwoo is in a similar situation. He said he is juggling loans and a part-time job while trying to send money back to his family.

I think I was shocked and emotional along with everyone. There's no need to hold two jobs. I can now concentrate more on my studies. You'll be able to focus more on what you're passionate about.

So I felt in my heart that everything would lead to a yellow brick road and a rainbow at the end.

The final rainbow Debra Marsdale is talking about is her diagnosis that she doesn't have cancer. Her doctors say she is the first person in the world to try a new treatment for metastatic melanoma, a rare but deadly form of skin cancer. It works by extracting a person's own immune cells from the tumor, where they are replicated and essentially strengthened and injected into the patient to fight cancer. This treatment was just approved by the FDA two weeks ago. Debra was participating in an experiment. She said it was a difficult process, both physically and emotionally, as she was diagnosed shortly after losing her husband to cancer.

What I care most about is that this will definitely save more lives.

But she still has some unfinished business to take care of at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper University Hospital.

Let's all ring the bell. So when I get there someday, I'm going to ring that damn phone.

An eight-year-old chess prodigy made history by becoming the youngest player to defeat a grandmaster in the classic game on the board.

I knew I could beat him. I'm proud of my game and the way I played.

Singapore's Ashwath Kaushik defeated 37-year-old Jacek Stopa in the fourth round of the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in February. If you look at how much Ashwath plays chess, you can tell that he really loves it.

I practice for 7-8 hours on weekends. I want to become a world champion when I grow up.

Next time, we'll tell you which state has the best pizza. Or at least that's what they think. Can't get enough of all this goodness? Then you need to sign up for CNN's The Good Stuff newsletter. Get uplifting news and cute animal videos delivered to your inbox every Saturday. There's a link to sign up in the show notes. You can also visit cnn.com/newsletters/thegoodstuff. When you think of delicious pizza, which state first comes to mind? Well, the governor of Connecticut recently declared New Haven the pizza capital of the United States.

It was passed unanimously. We didn't allow New York or New Jersey to vote.

CNN's Taylor Gargano is with us. Personally, as someone who was born and raised in Jersey, I'm not sure I agree with the state of Connecticut on this issue.

Okay, but Krista, didn't you say you like pineapple on your pizza? So I'm not sure if I should really believe your word.

Hey, there are a lot of people who like pineapple pizza. Don't knock it till you try it.

It's okay, it's okay. you're right. Maybe she's met one or she's two, but to be honest, I have my own issues with this. I mean, what about New York? I feel like New York has really delicious pizza.

“It appears we have a trilateral dispute.

Well, I'd like to actually add more to that discussion. Because I talked to some New Yorkers about this and they had pretty good opinions about it.

I mean, I feel like I have to give them something like New York is better at everything else, so I think I'm going to throw them a bone with pizza.

100% guarantee New York has the best pizza.

Why do you think that is?

It's New York, so now is the time!

I mean, I know there are really good places in Connecticut, like New Haven, but to me it's all part of New York.

Well, that's all for now. Tune in tomorrow for the next issue of One Thing. Host David Lind speaks with CNN's Josh Campbell to discuss the fentanyl crisis in the United States and how one city is working to address the problem. “5 Good Things'' is produced by CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Taylor Galgano, myself, and Krista Bo. Our senior producer is Faiz Jamil. Greg Peppers is our supervising producer. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our technical director and Steve Lickteig is our CNN Audio executive producer. Support was received from Joey Salvia, Hayley Thomas, Alex Manasselli, Robert Mathers, John Dianola, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nicole Pessar, and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to AJ Willingham, David Allen, and Katie Hinman. Thank you for listening. Until next time.