About Me

Profile

About:

I was born in Houston, Texas, on a Thursday almost 20 years ago. The 90’s are a blur of sugary cereal and afternoons at the park; I enjoyed life tremendously. At the turn of the millennium, my family and I moved to Sugar Land where we live today. I’ve always been a curious person and liked to learn through observation. I enjoy reading, writing, photography, and exploring blackberry forests.

I’m a student at the University of Texas at Austin where I’m studying Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. I hope to go to graduate school and work my way up to becoming a research professor.

Why I Ride

I grew up in the heart of Houston, and while in elementary school I experienced a loss for the first time. My friend lost her mother Nadia Jandali to breast cancer. Her family and mine were close, so I knew early on the sorrow that comes with passing.
As I grew older and entered my senior year of high school, my grandfather passed away from multiple myeloma. I didn’t know my grandfather well; he lived in Syria while I was in the States. My father told me great stories about the kind of man my grandfather was and the values he upheld. While death is a natural part of life, I wish he hadn’t suffered during his final days.
I’m in college now and feel fortunate to have a great group of friends. One of my dearest friends calmly confided in me one day that her mom was diagnosed with cancer when she was a freshman in high school. Her mom went into remission, but the cancer came back a few times. It would be wonderful if there were a definitive cure for cancer so that stress could be alleviated from families.
This semester, I met Stefen under a circumstance of fate (I sat next to him in class). We wound up becoming friends and I was startled to learn he was undergoing surgery for cancer. Stefen is an ambitious, health-minded individual...and he had cancer. Thankfully, he is ok.
I have noticed that cancer not only effects the individual, but all those who love them as well. No matter what stage in life you are in, that doesn't make you any less of a candidate for cancer. Good health is worth riding for.

I've been asked how I'll be able to ride through the pain. It's because of my friends and family that I'm able to have the strength to push myself; physical pain is nothing compared to mental anguish.

I especially ride for all the women in my life. I am riding my bicycle all the way to Anchorage from Austin to show you that you can do anything and go anywhere.