About Me

Profile

About: I am a senior Aerospace Engineering major from Houston, Texas. I enjoy hitting the books and taking extra classes at UT Austin - I have earned a minor in Dutch and I am working on certificates in Business, Risk Management, and Humanitarian Engineering.

I enjoy being active outdoors - running, cycling, swimming, sailing, yoga - you name it and I'm there. On rainy days I enjoy curling up with a good book, working on a new quilt block or a new page in my scrapbook.

Both my parents are engineers, but they have shared so much more with me than their love for STEM. My mom is a nature enthusiast, always doing her part to better the world in one way or another. My dad enjoys teaching people how to sail and getting on a boat in his free time. My sister, Elizabeth, is a sophomore at A&M College Station pursuing a bachelors in Chemical Engineering. These people inspire me daily to be enthusiastic and passionate about my life.

Why I Ride

When I first thought about applying to be part of Texas 4000, I never imagined my tie to cancer would become something so personal.

Aunt Joan was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer at the start of 2017. Sadly, cancer took her life later that year, in August 2017. Through T4K I can share her story and remember her as who she was. Joan was a woman that held herself and those around her to pretty high standards. She was kind, thoughtful and had a wry sense of humor. She fought hard to endure the treatment. Her daughter, Janet, fought hard alongside, even as sadness and uncertainty trickled down into her life. Her mom meant the world to her. I ride for my Aunt Joan and for Janet.

Soon after, one of my really great friends, Bailey, was suddenly diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Within the span of a couple months, he went from living an independent, carefree life to laying in a bed, confined to the ICU. Each free weekend, I went to Houston to visit him and his family at the hospital. He lost his fight in late October 2017. No one ever expected something like this to happen, but it did. Bailey always lived life with purpose, eager to try new things, challenge himself and spend time in good company. He inspires me to push forward, accomplish my goals and live without regrets. I ride for Bailey and his family.

As terrible as cancer can be, it does not define who we are. It can serve as a life lesson for the person affected and for the support group of family and friends. It has a way of bringing people closer together. Ron, my boyfriend, who is a cancer survivor, has shown me that despite its hardships, life is precious and that we should never take a day for granted. Both Leah and Karen, who are strong female role models as well as cancer survivors, mentor others to make sure people live life to the fullest.

I ride for those who have been directly impacted by cancer and as a result have taught me some of the greatest lessons in life. I ride to inspire hope in the lives of others and to spread knowledge and awareness about cancer. I ride to connect the community we live in and be a reminder to others that every day is a blessing.