I am a UT senior, majoring in molecular biology. I will graduating in May and hope to find a research position in the field of oncology or other genetic disorders. I want to focus on pediatrics. I have been hiking and camping with my family since I was young and love any kind of outdoor activity. I spend most of my time now dedicated to Youth Ministry and holding retreats for High School students.

I remember holding a young girl, only a couple years old, who had already been struggling with cancer for over half her life. She didn�??t stay in a regular hospital room though; she was shut off in a �??safe�?� room, where her mother had to wear a mask, gloves, and a gown just to enter her room. Seeing the innocence of that child in such a situation, I knew that this was the field I wanted to dedicate my life�??s work to.I am intrigued by the message of the ride, that brings hope to all who are struggling and displays to them that we are doing all of this for them and their cause. Besides doing cancer research itself, there are so many more ways to give to this cause and one of the most important is bringing awareness about it out into the open.

In memory of my Grandfather �??Skippypom�?� and my grandmother who both recently lost their struggle with cancer.