I’m in my 5th year at The University of Texas, getting a Masters in Accounting and will be starting my career at the Dallas PricewaterhouseCoopers office in October doing audit/assurance work.

Some of my favorite things to do are to travel, cook, swim, and ski. I have a great love for dogs and sushi (although not at the same time). I didn’t start liking sushi until I came to college and worked at a sushi restaurant for 2 years.

I moved to the United States from Thailand when I was 2 years old, so I don’t remember any of it. I grew up in Dallas, TX with my two lovely parents and older sister Patti. Every other summer until high school our family would go back to visit my relatives. Now that I’ve grown up and understand more, I cannot be more thankful of my parents for all that they’ve done so that not only we could have better lives, but also so that we could understand and accept the differences between people and cultures. I thank them for shaping me into becoming the person I am today.

It’s a remarkable thing they do. They fight. But who do they fight for when many times it’s easier to give up than to bear the physical and emotional struggles of battling cancer?

Deciding to fight is a selfless act. They fight for us. So that they may still be someone to somebody: a mother, a teacher, a neighbor, a friend. For this they struggle each day against cancer- for one more chance.

It is to this I ride. It is their strength that keeps me moving- moving to bear the physical exhaustion they feel, moving to fund research, to spread awareness, and to inspire hope. We have a responsibility to do so; it is our turn to be selfless. And with great technological advancement in the areas of chemotherapy, gene therapy, surgery, and others, it is possible, but it requires the support of society.

I owe a great debt to those loved ones who have struggled in this fight against cancer and to those whose lives have been taken. It is a great feat as a young, college student with little money to battle this disease on a large scale, but this organization gives us a collective means to do so. I’m glad that Texas 4000 has given young people an opportunity to fight for a cause greater than their own and I would be honored to be a part of that.