About Me

Profile

About:

I’m a hardworking and ambitious girl from Houston, Texas. I have lived there my entire life with my loving family. My favorite person in the world is my little brother, Eric Alvarado. Although he’s about six feet tall he will forever be my little brother. He’s really excited to be going off to college in about a year. We have so many things in common but mostly bond over soccer. Soccer has been in my life since a very young age. So whenever I’m not studying or eating I enjoy being outside just kicking a ball around or watching it on the television.

I’m double majoring in Biology and Spanish Linguistics. Currently, I am a member of the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. We are mostly known for running the world’s largest Texas flag at football games but we also do a ton of community service every semester, including working with boy scouts, food pantries in the Austin area and dog walking for Austin Pets Alive. We also help maintain our campus clean along with other organizations by having weekly clean-ups and last semester Alpha Phi Omega planted several beautiful bluebonnets around campus. This organization opened up so many doors for me in service. I have always had a passion for bettering the community, and I was not exactly sure of my place in Austin when I first arrived. Alpha Phi Omega led me in the right direction. In addition, I also participated in the Freshman Research Initiative on campus, where I have the opportunity to work next to an amazing research mentor to learn more about what the research field has to offer.

Throughout all of my life experiences, I have come to realize that I work best under pressure. Although this may seem counter intuitive, the knowledge that my work is never completely done, and that there is always improvement to be made, motivates me to be the best that I can be.

Why I Ride

I ride for my dad's close friends, Gregorio and Ricky. When my father’s friends were diagnosed I did not understand how horrible this disease was. Seeing the men who helped me take my first steps many years ago completely change in front of my eyes was devastating. My father is a man of action; he immediately began contacting everyone he knew asking for monetary and food donations for their families. Soon everyone close to us knew about my father’s friends and was very willing to help. When Ricky passed away, my father was not himself for a while. I felt like I completely understood his sorrow, but in retrospect, I realize I could never even imagine how he felt. Gregorio had beaten his cancer and everything seemed to be returning to normal. However, during my first semester of college I received a call from my dad asking me to pick up Gregorio’s daughter who studies at St. Edward’s and meet up with him. His voice was stern and I did not even have to ask what was wrong. I drove down to Houston a couple weeks later for the funeral arrangements; simply put, it was an incredible service. Gregorio was an 18-wheeler driver, as is my father. Next to his grave they had parked his truck. My father’s truck, along with his co-workers’ trucks had formed a big circle around his truck and grave. After a moment of silence the horns of the trucks all cut through the air. What would regularly be an unpleasant shrill in your ears actually highlighted a very tranquil and peaceful moment. As I looked around I could see everyone hugging and embracing. Gregorio and Ricky battled cancer however they did not battle it alone they had full support of their family and friends.

My father is one of the most admirable people I know. He's helped me grow into the person I am today through his love and determination to excel, even when things are not always going his way. Seeing the way cancer changed him, changed me.

I ride for the families of those who have fallen to cancer and the friends who helped them fight through. Cancer does not just affect the person with the disease, it changes everyone around them. I ride for the amazing cause that is Texas 4000, reaching out to everyone and for reminding cancer fighters that they are not alone on this fight, ever.