Entering my junior year and with my college era coming to an end, one of my goals was to have a life changing experience. I am satisfied with all the service, academic, and social aspects that have come thus far, but there is something that I have been missing that I struggled to pinpoint on. Last year, when I heard a friend talk about Texas 4000 to me it is one of the most unique community oriented organizations that exists. The mental and physical challenges that come along I’m amazed by the dedication, the passion, the grit that people within Texas 4000 have that is something I want to be a part of. To be honest, I have been on the fence about applying for the past year. I haven’t been directly impacted with a cancer loss, so I felt like I couldn’t belong and I didn’t want to undermine other people’s experiences and losses. My “why” was just not there yet.

Then Texas 4000 had a last minute application opening and the timing couldn’t have been better. This past semester I had the privilege of taking a course called Cancerland with Dr. Steph Osbakken. Based on the name of course we discuss the social, cultural, economic aspects of cancer. It was eye opening to hear about the struggles that cancer patients and their families have to face and how our society is not equipped to provide equitable care. I have had the honor of meeting different guest speakers who work with cancer patients and people who were directly or indirectly impacted by a loved one with cancer. Their stories touched me and I want their legacy to live on. The beautiful thing about storytelling is how it connects humans together. Each individual that has come talked to us, had a sense of hope. By joining Texas 4000 I want to spread that message of hope and work towards finding a solution for those impacted by cancer. I want to grow more as a leader and take the opportunity to make a big impact not just through fundraising efforts but with my actions within the community as well.

I would ride for my great-aunt who is currently going through cancer treatment. She is another grandmother figure to me. I remember when I was a kid, she would make my favorite meals and would pull ripe fruits from her garden. She has fought to survive essentially her entire life. From escaping her home country after 12 attempts to building her successful career in the states, she has done it all. She has paved the way in my mom’s generation and my generation of strong powerful women. Lastly, I would like to ride for Dr. Osbakken. I have the utmost respect for her because she is the professor at this university that has made a huge impact on my academic experience here at UT. She has taught me so much about the world and grew my desire to take action. Dr. O is my biggest inspiration in finding the sense of hope within the cancer world and who gave me the extra push in applying for Texas 4000.

I ride for all of the families who are disproportionately affected by cancer. I ride for those who have had or who currently have cancer. I ride to spread awareness and hope that one day there will be a cure for cancer.

Please reach out to me at emmsnguyener@utexas.edu if you have any stories you would like to share with me. I enjoy learning about others and I will keep them in my mind during our journey within Texas4000.

To Alaska and back,

Emily Nguyen