Born among the oil fields of west Texas, I naturally migrated to Houston where I spent 17 years hanging out with my brother, developing strong relationships with three best friends, attending school, and traveling abroad to expand my horizons far past Beltway-8.

I am now in my third year as a Biomedical Engineering student at UT. I have a passion for helping others, making to-do lists, eating breakfast at anytime of the day, working as a biomedical intern, and getting involved in things that make a difference. As an example, I volunteered last spring in the Oncology and Hematology wing of the Breckenridge Children’s Hospital in Austin. There I served children and families affected by cancer. This experience influenced my understanding of the needs of pediatric cancer patients. By joining Texas 4000, I hope to help raise the awareness of others, just as my volunteer experience raised awareness in me.

With the support of the community, cancer patients and cancer survivors, I am excited to conquer this 4500-mile challenge.

As I discuss cancer with friends and family, I realize the impact of cancer is enormous. It seems that there are very few individuals who have not been affected by cancer in some way. I am most excited about those times before and during the ride where we will visit hospitals, meet cancer patients, and inspire confidence and courage within them and their families. During this period, I know that I will also gain an immense amount of strength from those individuals that I visit who are fighting cancer. Although a cross-country ride would at first seem insurmountable, it pales in comparison to the physical and emotional aspects of a cancer diagnosis. Over the past decades tremendous strides in cancer treatment have been made, and I hope to be part of a solution.