I was born in Connecticut but have lived in Houston, TX for most my life. Iā??ve spent most the past 4 years studying at Middlebury College in beautiful mountainous Vermont, where Iā??m majoring in International Politics and Economics, focusing on the Middle East. Travelling and volunteering, two of my greatest passions, have led me all over the world from Latin America to Europe to the Middle East and Africa and biking from Texas to Alaska will be the greatest adventure yet! I love being outdoors, be it lolling in the grass, hiking, skiing, biking or whatever...

Over the last couple of years, as I have watched several friends struggle when their relatives have been diagnosed with cancer, I have realized a couple things about the disease. I always thought that medicine was an exact science, that once someone was diagnosed it was simply a matter a giving them the right treatment and their illness would go away. Iā??ve come to understand that is not true for cancer. I have seen friends wait with stomachs in knots to see if this round of treatment would be enough, to see if the cancer will come back, to see if their loved one will be ok. Iā??ve realized how incredibly complicated cancer treatment is, how much people suffer and it's made me want to join the fight against cancer.

This summer, my ride is dedicated to two brave friends, Nura and Ashlie.