About Me

Profile

About:



Hi there! My name is Amy Wong. I was born in the beautiful state of Georgia, in the small but historically rich town of Macon. My family and I eventually found ourselves relocated to the suburbs of Flower Mound. Here, I attended high school and found my passion realized through many different mediums—from art and photography to track and even, briefly, basketball (despite my 5’1” frame!).

Currently I am going into my senior year, pursuing a B.A. in Advertising with a certificate in Business Foundations. I am in the Texas Creative sequence, and I aspire to one day be an art director for an agency in Portland, NY, or Seattle. Hopefully all three by the time I retire! I guess you could say my fascination with visual art began when I realized that illustrations could be used to convey things I couldn’t necessarily express to my teachers and peers (as English was my second language). I love traveling and am currently in my second year of Mandarin. It is my dream to one day work internationally on green campaigns in China that promote positive body image, healthy eating, and sustainable living!

Wherever I end up, I know I will have the full support and love of my family; I am so grateful for the sacrifices that they have made for me. They encourage me everyday to have empathy for those fighting their own personal battles, to embrace my own “zaniness” and to hone my creativity in positive and constructive ways. Without a doubt, they are the reason I am here today.

Why I Ride

I ride for two of my uncles: Doug who passed away from prostate cancer in ’98 and Richard, who lost his battle against liver cancer in December of 2005. They are both remembered as amazing, hard-working and loving men. It saddens me that their lives and experiences were cut short by something like cancer. I ride for them and their families. I ride for change.

I also ride for my mother, Vivian, who has bipolar disorder. This condition can have a genetic basis, and studies show that its patients show an enhanced risk for cancer. Research also shows that receiving a diagnosis of cancer results in clinical depression or anxiety and can significantly impact a person's mental health. This can negatively impact health outcomes and, of course, the quality of patients' lives during treatment.

Point is:

Like cancer, mental illness knows no age limits, economic status, race, creed or color.
I ride for my momma and to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health care.

Cancer claims the lives of over half a million people a year in the U.S. alone. There are preventative measures, but at the end of the day, everyone is susceptible to this truly detrimental disease. There are many different kinds of cancer. It is not simply a question of targeting one neurotransmitter or one protein. Battling cancer is costly, time-consuming, and extremely complex. I want to help spread the pillars of hope, knowledge, and charity, in hopes that one day people will no longer succumb to this disease and our children will know a world that is cancer-free.