About Me

Profile

About: Hey there! My name is Evan Welsh and I’m a junior here at the University of Texas. I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Advertising in the Texas Media sequence with a certificate in Business Foundations. I hope to one day work in Media Planning or Account Services for an agency in Boston or New York City, or become the next Don Draper, whichever happens first I suppose.

I am part of the spirit group, Absolute Texxas, on campus and also participate as a FIG Mentor and a Camp Texas counselor. I had dreamed of coming to the 40 Acres since my older sister Emma came here in 2012. What good is a little brother if he doesn’t copy everything his older sibing does, right? Coming from the small town of Argyle, TX (just south of Denton), UT was a huge change, but I have loved every moment of it.

Back home in ole’ Argyle, I have my lovely parents Stuart and Julie who provide me with constant support and financial aid. I also have two younger sibings – er.. dogs – named Luna and Stella who are the reasons I go back home (just kidding mom and dad, I come home so you can do my laundry too (; !!!).

I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this organization and aid in its fight against cancer.

Why I Ride

I ride for my Grandpa Welsh. He was 69 when he lost his battle to Leukemia. I was in first grade and didn’t totally grasp what had happened. He was someone who dedicated his whole life to helping others, working as a Thoracic Surgeon and Critical Care Physician. He gave so much of his life, whether it be missing holidays with my dad and his siblings, spending late nights at the hospital, and so much more to provide hope and help others. I wish I had gotten to know my grandpa better because from what my parents tell me, he was a very special man gone too soon.

I ride for my Grandpa Whelan, my mom’s dad. When I was in seventh grade, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. His father had died of the same disease when he was in his 60s so luckily my grandpa regularly went for check ups and so it was detected early. They were able to cure his cancer by removing a third of his colon and we are all so fortunate that he has remained healthy since. This was the first time I truly saw the ugly face of cancer and it was something I never wanted to experience again. I couldn’t imagine a life with out my grandpa. He has always been around since I was born, whether he was taking me to see the trains at Northpark during Christmas, going to the NASCAR races, or letting me help him build things in his workshop, he’s always been around.

I ride for my dad, Stuart Welsh. Around my junior or senior year, he was diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma. Luckily this is one of the most treatable forms of skin cancer. Still, this is the closest to home cancer had ever hit. My dad is so strong and smart and driven, and it hurt me so much to see him scared. I always go to my dad when I’m nervous about something or need help, and it was heartbreaking for me to see him experience the guilt that if he wasn’t careful, he might not be with us. Because it was such a mild form of cancer, he was able to get his spots removed and is now cancer free. This sparked a dialogue in our family though about taking the proper precautions in preventing skin cancer, a conversation that everyone needs to have. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this organization and help spread awareness about preventing this disease, especially since it has hit so close to home.

I also ride for my friends Simran Jatar and Kyle Gerke who both fought and beat childhood cancer, and my old bosses, Kevin Milton and Kris Grainger who have both battled skin cancer.

And lastly, I ride for all those affected by this terrible disease – past, present, or future – I do this for you in hopes that one day the word “cancer” is only found in history books.