Profile

About: My name is Archer Race Schaeffer. It used to be Anthony Race Schaeffer, but I'm a big momma's boy so I changed my first name to her maiden name to get some brownie points (it worked, she loves me, too, now). I came to UT as an economics major, and then I added biology my first semester. And then I dropped economics. But then I added Spanish. So now I'm Spanish and biology (Iberian and Latin American Languages and Cultures major if you're trying to make things more complicated than they need to be). I like to run, bike, and swim, but I'm not good enough to do just one really well, so instead I've settled for a sport where I can settle for being mediocre at all three: triathlon. My hobbies include doing my best to spend time doing things that make me happy and dressing more outdoorsy/athletic than I actually am. Right now, I'm working on developing a non-profit organization with my friends called Texas Humanities for Humanity. We work with hospice centers in the Austin area to connect with patients faced with terminal illness with students here on UT. We help foster relationships and conversation which culminates in a written piece, kinda like a little biography, about our new companions.

Get to know me more so we can know each other:
race.schaeffer@gmail.com

if you like what you heard about Texas Humanities for Humanity:
https://texash4h.wordpress.com/

Why I Ride

The people in my life who have encountered cancer occupy a particular place in my heart. Their courage in the face of challenge, selflessness in the face of hardship, and optimism in times of trial demonstrate the capacity for each of us to overcome our own obstacles. Aunt Elizabeth was the source of joy in many of my earliest memories. Aunt Evelyn exemplified the opportunities we have near the end of our life to impact the lives of those we love beyond our own years. Tía Mique exemplified the strength of joy and, even in the face of hardship, the purpose of pursuing it. Aunt CJ, the mother of my best friend, redefined the meaning of the world "family" as she became my "mom-away-from-mom".

Each of these women have played an irreplaceable role in shaping me into the man I am today, but I'd be lying if I told you they are why I ride. Instead, they are the reason I can ride. Supporting those who face the threat of cancer tomorrow is why I ride. I ride for Ella, my Aunt Elizabeth's granddaughter, so that she can live a full life free of the fear of cancer. I ride for Tanner and his sisters, so that they can continue life with their mom, my Aunt CJ, free of the fear of recurrence. I ride for my cousins Bruce and Annie, for those who have lost a parent. I ride for my mother, for those who have lost a sister or brother or friend. I ride for my grandparents, for those who have witnessed the death of a child. I ride for those facing the threat of cancer, and as for these women who've taught me so much, they ride with me.