About Me

Profile

About: I grew up in Mesquite as an only child, surrounded by an extended family of friends who became extra parents, siblings I never had, and cheerleaders I probably took for granted. I was encouraged to be well rounded and grew up believing that my dreams were attainable. I practiced gymnastics from a young age until transitioning to taekwondo when I was ten, where I fought competitively and earned a 2nd degree black belt. Theatre was a defining aspect of my life throughout middle and high school. I did well academically, and college was the obvious next step. I chose UT on a gut feeling and never doubted it, even now.

I still try to be well rounded. While I am studying advertising, I’m also interested in social work and public health. Over the summer I was an orientation advisor with some close friends and ended up receiving the Outstanding New Orientation Advisor Award. I’ve also facilitated workshops for campus groups as a Healthy Sexuality Peer Educator. When I can, I like to do yoga, draw, and drink tea. I love animals and have trouble picking favorites.

Activism is a big part of my life. I’m a very empathetic person and recognize the privileges I have that make my life easier. Knowing this, I joined T4K in order to humble myself and be a part of something big in the name of helping others.

Why I Ride

I ride for my friends, including the friends of my parents and grandparents. They have been affected by cancer more than I even know.

I ride for Cristi Biggs, whom I never met but still was an immeasurable impact on me, my coworkers, and my supervisors in the orientation program. Her death was sudden and her presence has been dearly missed.

I ride for Sara Laminack. She inspired me to continue theatre throughout high school and inspired many others to push themselves for their craft. She has been fighting cancer even through the birth and care of her children and is in the hearts of my teammate, Jen, and myself.

I ride for Diane Cannon, my fifth grade teacher. She had to take off a lot of work when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and class was never the same without her. In between long bouts of substitute teachers, she would sometimes come to class and update us on her condition. I remember her being as enthusiastic as ever despite chemotherapy treatments, and now, ten years later, she’s cancer-free and still incredibly spunky. I have always admired her strength, humor, and activist spirit.

I ride for my family. I lost my grandpa, Bill Bacon, to throat cancer when I wasn’t old enough to remember much about him. Later, after my grandma remarried, I lost another grandpa. Rex Records took his life when I was in middle school--I didn’t even know he had cancer until it was explained to me why he had passed. Now that I’m older, it pains me to think about what he must have felt, and his death weighs heavy on me as I embark on this journey with T4K. I ride with Rex in mind to spread hope to patients and their families.