I am from north-central Ohio, somewhere between Cleveland, Cedar Point, and Mansfield. I came to UT because it is a great school, and I am currently working on my master's degree in environmental and water resources engineering. I like to hike, travel, and ride bikes, but I've never been to Alaska before.

Rarely in life does one get the chance to do something so amazing as to travel 4,500 miles into the arctic wilderness on just a bicycle. Rarer still is the chance to do it for something so meaningful as the fight against cancer. To me especially, this is a very important cause. My father passed away after a long struggle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma while I was in high school. But I know that I am not alone; many others have also suffered close personal losses as a result of this disease. Although there are many different and valuable ways to help fight the battle against cancer, I choose the Texas 4000.