BIOGRAPHY

My name is Kyle, and I am currently a sophomore studying Accountancy and Finance in the College of Business here at U of I. I hail from Highland Park, IL, a northern suburb of Chicago. I have two older sisters, Erin and Eileen, and one younger sister Kathryn. We also have a dog named Murphy who we all love very much. On campus, I am part of the Business Honors Program, which is an academic honors group that was put together by the college to be a group of student leaders among the student body. Every year about 40 incoming freshman get asked to be a part of the program, and throughout their undergraduate years they are charged with being a group of "leaders among leaders" who elevate the level of the entire student body. Not only has being a part of this group been intellectually stimulating, but it has provided me with an amazing group of friends. We are an extremely tight-knit group that hang out all the time. In addition to the BHP program, I am also a member of Phi Gamma Nu, a professional business fraternity, and an accountancy tutor for the college of business. In addition to being a rider this summer, I have been the treasurer for this organization for over a year. I have been able to see all the donations people give, and I'm really happy to finally be a a part of that fundraising this year. It's amazing to see the sheer number of people that donate to a cause like this, and I'm just glad I can contribute to the fundraising effort.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

When I started to talk to my family and friends about this organization I had gotten involved in, I was astounded at the number of people who talked to me about someone they knew who had cancer. It really showed me that the adage is true: everyone knows someone who has been affected by this disease. It is this reason why I believe what we do at the Illini 4000 is important. Cancer is such a far-reaching, devastating disease, and I feel its extremely important to be a part of the fight. I only hope that the funds we raise can help researchers find a cure to this disease someday.