Profile

About: Hi! My name is Paige and I am majoring in chemical engineering. There are three subjects that I am very passionate about: medicine, global business, and the environment. Last summer, I conducted research at UT on the integration of new nanotechnology techniques to cell therapies that are primarily being used to treat children with leukemia. Living in Denmark for a semester, the most eco-friendly country in the world, has allowed me to see firsthand simple ways that we can incorporate sustainable practices into our daily lives. I hope to help lead this transition to a more environmentally conscientious future through the intersection of business and science when I graduate from UT in May 2020. My two younger siblings and I were born and raised in Austin by our incredible parents, who are probably cooler and wiser than me…but don’t tell them I said that. I love travel, hiking, sunsets, concerts, soccer, The Beatles (who are in fact my screensaver), my dog Cleo, photography, Whole Foods, ridiculously competitive games of catch phrase with my extended family (arguments guaranteed!), and organic chemistry.

Here are three random facts about myself:

1. The only series that I have ever fully read is The Hunger Games. I have been on page 171 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows since 8th grade. Maybe, someday, I will finish it.
2. The coolest thing I have ever done is see the Northern Lights in Iceland, obviously with the soundtrack of Brother Bear playing on repeat.
3. Nothing gets me more heated than talking about the last season of Game of Thrones. NEVER bring that up around me. Unless you want to hear an hour-long rant, you don’t want to get me started.

Why I Ride

Cancer is a monster that serves a unique purpose. It connects every individual in this world. Everyone knows someone who has been impacted by cancer. And everyone’s story is different. Early on, my story primarily deals with losses that most directly affected my parents and their immediate families. My dad’s family endured a great loss growing up when his 7-year-old sister’s life was cut short after falling victim to stage 4 leukemia. When I was 2 years old, my grandfather’s life was ended as lung cancer ran away with his final breaths. My brother’s soon to be God Mother battled breast cancer during years in which I was much too young to understand what was happening. In middle school, cancer began to become more prevalent in my life. A dear family friend with a brain tumor, a close friend's mom being diagnosed with breast cancer, another close friend’s aunt passing away from ovarian cancer. My mom’s sister died in 2015 from a lung cancer recurrence. Her battle with the disease lasted for nearly a decade. Cancer has the power to tighten its grip around any person of its choosing. The suffering it inflicts is relentless, and its ability to turn a family’s world upside down has no bounds. It is a terrible truth that we each have our own story about how cancer has affected our lives.

I have a deep love for the joy, boldness, and virtue of children. I entered college with the intention of going onward to medical school to become a pediatric oncologist. However, I was re-directed to this organization and my battle against cancer begins now.

I ride for those who lost their fight.
I ride for those who won.
I ride for those who are still fighting.
I ride to feel a fraction of cancer patient’s pain. To be physically, mentally, and emotionally pushed to my limits.
I ride for hope of a cancer free world.
To Alaska and back.

If you would like for me to dedicate a day of my summer ride to someone you know that has battled cancer, please fill out this google form: https://tinyurl.com/paige-ride-dedications