Stephen Odon
Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL
University: University of Illinois
Major: Nursing
BIOGRAPHY
My name is Steve Odon and I am from Arlington Heights, Illinois. I have a twin sister, Katie; and an older brother, Tom; and two wonderful parents, Pete and Nancy. Their love and support is what motivates me to live out my life. I am a sophomore at the University of Illinois in the college of nursing. I always strive to find new experiences and am extremely curious about the little nooks and crannies you can find in life. Music is one of my biggest influences. I am intrigued by sheer amount of instruments and their different colors of sound. At school, I am a member of a comedy octet, The Other Guys. We sing about 70 shows a year and practice almost twenty hours a week. Although it's a huge time commitment, I love being able to interact with a wide variety of audiences. I have a large group of guy friends at home- and every Sunday night we play dodgeball. I love dodgeball becuase it brings out the worst in everyone. I know that sounds terrible, but it is almost rewarding to see a person's true colors- especially if you just hit them in the face.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I am a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in my senior year of high school and was treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Although I am now a cancer survivor, my battle with cancer has only just begun. Cancer is not a battle between just the patient and the disease. Without my family and friends' support during my treatment and post-treatment, I would not be able to speak up about my experience. It is very easy to be silent. I believe that I got off easy. There are those who go for treatment without hopes of a recovery. Others are so fatigued by cancer's intensive treatment that motivation becomes harder and harder to find. There are some who cannot even afford the expensive treatments designed to treat cancer. I ride for you. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Plato