Last week, I received the best present I could ever ask for, a vehicle by which I can spread hope, knowledge, and charity, an instrument that will allow me to make some of the best memories and experiences, the thing that will physically get me to Alaska: MY BIKE (which I have not yet decided […]

I love my grandparents. They are an unbelievably important part of my childhood, my life, and my development as a person. Year after year, I have spent holidays in their quaint, ranch-style home. The love that my grandparents share with one another is a model for which I aim in my own future relationships. Because […]

I am a born, raised, and proud Texan from Plano. Each wall in my room is a different sports field hand-painted with rather impressive detail by my mom. I made sure my bed resides firmly underneath the baseball diamond, my favorite sport growing up. I like talk a bit too much with my hands, people […]

“Self-Awareness.” What does that mean? Before our weekly Texas 4000 meeting a few weeks ago, I had not given much thought to what self-awareness means, how it could help me, or what I should do with it. As our staff member, Kathryn, went through this essential Texas 4000 foundational skill, I found myself feeling more […]

What can you do in 38 minutes? How about 34? Three months ago I would never have believed it, but I can run a 5K. June/July: Our first fitness milestone as the 2017 Texas 4000 team was a 5 kilometer, 3.1 mile, run set for September 3rd. I was nervous. I hadn’t been running regularly for two years, and […]

In the applications, and even the emails accompanying the applications, I can sense the same feelings of anxiety, growing attachment, hope, and terror that I felt when I turned in my application one year ago. Jeff Conley and I have been processing applications this weekend for the 2018 team, and seeing the caliber of applicants and […]

This summer was filled with working in the environmental engineering research lab and spending time in the sun spreading our mission and fundraising by panhandling! Unfortunately the summer ended too quickly, but with its end came the excitement of entering our ride year! Senior year is proving to be the busiest year yet, and it […]

When I decided to apply for Texas 4000, my grandma had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Because of her age and the location of the tumor, she was not a candidate for treatment. My grandma lived out her last months surrounded by family and friends. We laughed, shared stories, ate good food, and enjoyed […]

It’s safe to say I was a bit apprehensive the first time I heard what panhandling was. I consider myself an introvert, so walking up and down a median, flailing a fundraising sign, and being stared at by hundreds of people wasn’t on my bucket list. However, once I returned to campus in August, I […]

The first 15 minutes of every Texas 4000 meeting are the most sobering part of my week. Each Monday at 6:55pm, I’m running across campus to make it to our Texas 4000 meeting by 7pm. There’s typically a million different things on my mind — upcoming tests, applying for scholarships and graduate schools, trying to figure […]