I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and came to Texas to attend the University of Texas at Austin. I graduated in 2004 from UT with a B.S. in Psychology and then moved to Philadelphia to pursue a graduate degree. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an M.A. in Psychology in August, 2005. I am now working as a staff member in the Psychology department at UT and hope to pursue my Ph.D. at the University starting in the Fall of 2006. Outside of work, I enjoy running, biking (road and mountain), snow skiing, camping, listening to live music, reading, and travelling internationally.

Whenever I think about cancer, I am struck by several of its characteristics. First is the number of people who are diagnosed and die from cancer in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.3 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 500,000 people will die from one of the many types of cancer. In my opinion, these numbers indicate that the cancer rates in the U.S. are at epidemic levels. Second, I am astonished at how quickly cancer can lead to death. I have been touched by several friends and family members who have been diagnosed with cancer. Within a year of diagnosis, many of them had died. Cancer is often an invisible and swift killer that has the potential of destroying the lives of those who develop the disease as well as the lives of their families. Lastly, cancer can often be prevented, treated, or even cured. For example, the American Cancer Society estimates that about one-third of the cancer deaths in the U.S. this year will, in part, be caused by malnutrition, obesity, or physical inactivity. It is clear that all of these potential causes of cancer can be prevented through proper diet and exercise. Also, many types of cancer can be detected early in their development using screening examinations. If cancer is caught early enough, it can often be treated or cured. The American Cancer Society believes that the U.S. could raise the 5-year survival rate to 95% for these kinds of cancers through regular cancer screenings. These facts point to the need for better education on nutrition, exercise, and the importance of appropriate cancer screenings. Though cancer is often deadly, we can fight this terrible disease through prevention, early diagnosis, and further research into how to cure this disease.