About Me

Profile

About:

I was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, but I would hardly call that home. Overall I’ve lived in Texas for roughly 14 years (and counting), Alaska for three, and California for one. With all the moves, I believe each one has contributed to the person I am today. I have two younger brothers, both in high school now. Along with them, I have a golden retriever, who is the sweetest dog ever, a border collie mix of a dog, and a cat.
Currently I am a sophomore at the University of Texas, majoring in both supply chain management and international relations/global studies. I hope that one day I will be able to travel the world and make a peaceful difference. I believe in living life to the fullest and experiencing everything life has to offer me. With that in mind, I decided to walk onto the rowing team here at UT, and I hope to go to France to study abroad and explore Europe. I have never rode a bike for a distance longer than my house to school, but I believe that through my faith and inspirations, anything is possible.

Why I Ride

As a young girl, I never really met my paternal grandfather, Pap. In 1997, pancreatic cancer took my grandfather from me. From what I am told, he was an extraordinary man who cared deeply for his family and always saw the best in people. Even when I was a growing child, he had hope in me that I would one day grow up and achieve great things. I ride for him because he brings hope in my life that I desire to share with others who seem lost in despair.

There are also gifts from above that are given to us in our lives through the form of friendships. While pregnant with me, my mother met a remarkable young lady, Mrs. Theresa, through prenatal yoga classes. Through the class they became close friends, and have remained in touch ever since. The year Hurricane Katrina hit, Mrs. Theresa’s parents and autistic brother were directly affected by the broken levee. She took them into her home and helped care for them, even though she had four children of her own. A year later, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. With her faith deeply rooted in God, she embraced the cancer headstrong. Even though she suffered from a stroke that paralyzed her entire left side of the body after the surgery, she went through physical therapy daily in order to recover. For about four years, she was cancer free, until this past August, two weeks before she was about to take her son to college, when she found out that the brain tumor had come back. Cancer has conquered the life of a woman who has so much to give to her family, her faith, and her community. Despite all the challenges thrown at her, she has learned to see the positive in each of them and learn to cope with them instead of letting them hold her back. I ride for the inspirations like Mrs. Theresa, who despite all the challenges they face, still manage to wake up each morning and make the best of it all.

Cancer takes away many lives, and leaves even more shattered from it. One person alone may not be able to make a difference, but when people unite together for a cause, miracles can happen. I believe that when you have the heart and passion to set out and do something, anything is possible if one just believes. I believe that a cure is near. I believe that our generation will be the one to find it. I believe that through this ride, we become one step closer to achieving this goal. I ride for the cure.