Howdy every one!! To get the formalities out of the way, I am a soon to be graduating senior of Texas A&M University, studying biology. â??Fingers crossedâ?, I plan on going into med school come fall 06â??. I happen to be what some refer to as a good old west Texas boy, raised in Midland. Contrary to popular belief though, I have never ridden a horse nor roped anything for that matter. I LIKE MUSIC. I try to play guitar/trumpet but really it just makes me appreciate those that can actually play well. Along with the guitar/trumpet are hockey/soccer as well. They are both the greatest sports in the universe. I canâ??t pin it down to one reason as to why T4K is so awesome. Iâ??m stoked about seeing parts of the world in ways I wouldnâ??t have experienced otherwise. Iâ??m looking forward to the people we will meet along the way and the lives we might affect. Most of all I feel blessed as a broke college student to have the opportunity to help in the fight against cancer to the degree that T4K does.

Through working this past summer in a research facility at Texas A&M I have become aware of the vast amount of knowledge that surrounds cancer, as well as questions yet to be answered by the science community. I am convinced that a cure for this disease exists in the future, and organizations such as the texas4k are key in this search, providing necessary research dollars.
I also feel that it is the responsibility of those who have had first hand experience with this disease to educate those whom are unaware of its seriousness. Cases of Melanoma, Leukemia, and Ovarian cancer have all been diagnosed and overcome within my family. If it were not for my family being particularly educated in regards to cancer, and for the early diagnosis of these cases, they very well could have been more serious then experienced. The information texas4k provides while traveling across half of the United States cannot be equaled to any monetary value, when early detection and prevention are two very powerful "cures" for cancer.
My first experiences with death as a child had nothing to do with family pets of any kind, but of a close friend who died at age 8 from Wilms Tumor. Although I was young at the time I do remember being particularly confused as to why Blake was sick. This was frustrating at the least. Cancer victims along with their friends and families deserve more then being confused as to why loved ones are suffering. To think that I might help in the battle against cancer by getting in good shape and doing a bit of sight seeing, sounds more like a privilege then a chore. I cannot wait to see how this trip might affect those we speak to, as well as myself.