Profile

About: Hi there! Thank you for visiting my page. My name is Mary McKenna, and I'm from Georgetown, Texas. I am now a graduate of UT Austin, where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Studies and a Master’s in Music and Human Learning.

When I'm not at school, I love going on adventures with my family. Some of my favorites include sightseeing, relaxing at the beach, hiking, snow skiing, and watching Broadway musicals. No matter where I travel, however, it’s always great to be back in Austin!

I don't really think you can ever stop making new friends or learning about as many new things as possible. I also don't think you should ever take life so seriously that you forget to play. I do believe something wonderful is always about to happen, smiling is contagious, and love really is all you need. Especially love in the form of hugs—I’m a huge fan of hugs!

My passion is sharing the joy of music with the next generation by teaching elementary school music and piano lessons. More importantly, I hope to encourage my students to dream big, be kind, believe in themselves, and work hard as they pursue whatever they are passionate about.

For God and my incredibly amazing twin sister, parents, extended family, and friends, I am more grateful than words can explain. Each one of them fills my life with happiness, and their infinite support is what keeps me going strong. I’m also thankful for my teachers and role models, my Longhorn Band family, and for all of the fabulous experiences that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of at the University of Texas.

Why I Ride

While I consider it an enormous blessing that no one in my immediate family has passed away or fought a battle with cancer, we have all been affected by the destruction that this disease causes in the lives of our dear friends and extended family members.

Millions of people fight cancer every day, not just for their own lives, but also for the well being of their families and friends. When I consider this reality, I am truly touched by the countless actions of selflessness and perseverance that are performed on a daily basis by people who have cancer. While fundraising, training, and biking to Alaska, I look forward to helping as many people who are affected by cancer as possible in whatever ways that I can. Most importantly, I hope to serve as a source of love and encouragement.

Hope is inspired when people make the time to actually do something in support of other human beings. Hope is spread through actions of generosity. For people who are affected by cancer, this sense of hope might be the only thing that can counteract the fear that they feel at times. I believe that hope will take us one step closer to finding a medical cure. I believe that the cure is near and that it will be found in our generation.

To quote one of my good friends, “we should always focus our hearts and minds on giving—the only thing we should ever want to take is care of each other.” There is only so much one can do alone, which is why I am incredibly thankful for my wonderful teammates and the opportunity we’ve been given to serve together. I have faith that miracles really can happen when people unite and work hard for a compassionate purpose. As a team, we will use the health, knowledge, and skills that we have for this purpose.

Therefore, I ride for the empathy that gives strength to individuals, families, and friends affected by cancer and for the hope that we can all work together to put an end to this disease for good.

Thank you for your support!