About Me

Profile

About:

It is safe to say that as the youngest of two, I was basically my sister’s guinea pig. Aside from the experimental haircuts and countless sneaky blames, I can’t deny that my sister and I had an amazingly interesting childhood. It is thanks to her that I am as adventurous and passionate about life.

I was born and raised in Brownsville, TX. I am daughter to Jose and Martha Rangel, sister to Erika Rangel and best friend to a beautiful cocker spaniel named Kloey. I was raised in a Catholic and very traditionally Hispanic family. So Hispanic, that if you were allowed to spank the children then you knew you were part of the family.

Two of my biggest passions as a little girl have been dancing and caring for other people. I remember being a little girl and always wanting to be the doctor at my house, the one to take care of my mom when she was in bed feeling sick. I love to dance, do sports and challenge myself. I hate to sit around and have nothing to do. I am very outgoing and like to try new things. I like to talk,… A LOT, but yet can never run out of things to talk about. I love meeting new people and have found out that in the process, I am constantly learning new things about myself and life’s ways.

I am a 2011 fall transfer student at The University of Texas at Austin and already UT has had so much to offer to me. I am currently a Biochemistry major and hope to further my education in medical school. One of my goals as an undergraduate is to inspire, create, motivate, and touch other lives. One of the best advices I was ever given and try to live by everyday is “when you wake up in the morning before you walk out the door make sure you feel at your best, and when you step foot out that door, forget yourself and put others before you.”

Why I Ride

It’s no surprise to people when they hear the term “cancer.” Cancer doesn’t only affect the person dealing with it, but their families and friends as well. I ride for the past, the present, and the future. I ride to remember those who have ended their fight against cancer, for those who continue to fight, and for those who have overcome their fight against cancer.

Where I come from, genetic information doesn’t determine who your true family is. True families are those who care for you, value you, and support you.

I ride for Ana Castillo, my mother’s childhood friend and co-pilot. Ana was someone I always introduced as my aunt. Although not genetically related to me, she watched me grow and spent more time with me than my own aunts and uncles. On December 26, 2005, Ana was diagnosed with an advanced cervical cancer. Her tumor had been growing for three years already, but Ana was a fighter. She was a mother, a friend, a companion, and a grandmother who loved every single minute of her existence. Her fight against cancer ended March 25th 2008.

I ride for my cousin and her fiancé. Months prior to their wedding, he was diagnosed with a stage 3 cancer. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is fighting every step of the way to one day continue with his dreams of making his fiancé not only his wife, but the happiest women alive.

I also ride for my research mentor, James Bullard, and his brother, George Bullard. I did not have the pleasure of meeting George Bullard, but if he was anything like Dr. Bullard, we would have gotten along perfectly. George was diagnosed with spinal cancer and recently ended his fight against cancer on September 12, 2011.

I ride for them, their families, their friends, and the HOPE that someday we’ll overcome cancer.