Hello! I grew up in the beautiful Texas hill country town of Fredericksbrug, located 75 miles west of Austin. I have a golden retriever named Maddox, my love, who eases my trivial worries and brings me unbounded happiness. I am a junior at UT Austin studying fine arts with a concentration in photography and painting.

The past six years of my life have been chock-full of excitement and new experiences. I moved to Northern California in the summer of 2001 and attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco for two years where I studied fine arts and photography. I decided in the Fall of 2003 to study abroad with a program called Semester at Sea. Over the course of three months I experienced twelve countries while circumnavigating the globe. Visiting four vastly different continents was absolutely incredible, and at moments overwhelming. I cherish having had the opportunity to experience (only a small portion of) the world through this program... oh, there is so much more!

It was in California where I learned about Team In Training (TNT), an organization in association with the Leukemia and Lymphoma society (LLS). TNT is a fundraising organization that helps in the fight against blood-related cancers. For three years I participated with TNT as a fundraising member and a mentor in honor of my grandmother, Irene. I made it my personal mission to contribute whatever I could to the cause, fighting cancer. During four seasons with TNT, aside from fundraising for LLS, I completed numerous endurance events including four marathons and a half-ironman triathlon in the Spring of 2005. After studying abroad and my last season with TNT, I decided to head back to Texas to finish school at UT Austin. In June of 2005 I left the west coast Texas-bound. Now here I am, a longhorn, loving living.

Cancer, in its many ruthless forms, affects millions of individuals. The unfortunate affected by this disease are in a constant battle to beat the odds. I was introduced to this battle as a child through witnessing my Grandmother's struggle with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The leukemia that affected my grandmother exposed me to the brutality of cancer, its many destructive extremes, and the devastation it hails on just one person and their loved ones.

Blessed as a healthy individual I believe it is important for me to do everything in my power to assist in the fight against cancer. Participating in a proactive advocacy group such as the Texas 4000 allows me the platform to do so by sharing hope and knowledge with those that need it the most. I look forward to taking on this challenge in honor of all the individuals that face a much greater challenge 365 days a year, those in the fight against cancer. Irene, Coal, Brenda, Michael, Brenden, L.D., and all those who have suffered from this disease, you are my inspiration. I ride for you.