Spring break of my senior year in 2023, I was playing a game of soccer with my friends — when a soccer ball collided with my face, snapping my glasses in half. Little did I know that moment would change my life forever. During an eye exam to replace my glasses, my doctor asked if I’d been experiencing headaches. I hadn’t, but she insisted I get an emergency MRI. Six hours later, the buzzing and beeping of the MRI machine surrounded me, and soon after, I heard the words that turned my world upside down: “You have a cancerous brain tumor.”
After two surgeries, six months of proton radiation, and six cycles of intensive chemotherapy, I had my first clean MRI scan. I was overjoyed at this second chance at life! Since then, I have vowed to live this one precious life to the fullest that I can. When I was in the hospital for chemotherapy, I would sit and stare out the window at the Anschutz campus. I would think about Phillip and Nancy Anschutz’s $120 million dollar gift to the medical campus. I vowed to myself that if I ever got the chance to give back, I would do everything in my power to do so.
Because of research funding, I received advanced treatments that saved my life—treatments that are also saving the lives of many other children affected by childhood cancer.
Currently, I am pursuing a bachelor’s in real estate from the University of Colorado Boulder. When I’m not studying, I love to fly fish, go hiking, or do anything outdoors. I also have a passion for cooking and love spending time with my family! In the future, I plan to own my own business of some kind and make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer.
