Alex Knicker
Hometown: Crystal Lake, IL
University: University of Illinois
Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering
BIOGRAPHY
My name is Alex and I am senior in Civil and Environmental Engineering. I lived my entire life in Crystal Lake, IL with my wonderful parents and three older siblings before coming to college. I am very thankful for my family and the support they always give me towards whatever I’m doing. After spending last summer in Germany, my desire to travel, especially to national parks, has heightened, and though Illinois will always be home, I can’t wait to explore even more. I am studying Environmental Engineering with the hopes of preserving the beautiful places we have around the world. I also have an interest in astronomy and am an avid fan of Doctor Who! In my free time I can be found attempting to teach myself piano, reading, watching movies, biking, taking pictures, and (I’ll admit) often sleeping. I can’t wait to start this next adventure and do my part in the fight against cancer.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
A little over two years ago, I lost my grandma to breast cancer. Although I had also lost my grandpa to cancer before I was born and have known other people who had family members with cancer, this loss was what really hit home. Because my mom is an only child, my grandma spent a lot of time with my siblings and I. She came on all of our family vacations, came to cheer for us at sporting events, never missed a birthday, and often came over for Sunday dinners. She was very close to all of us because of that, and I felt that the cancer was robbing us of more time with her. It is heartbreaking that countless stories just like this are told around the country and around the world. As I’m sure many can agree, cancer needs to be a word that someday few will have heard, and a word that will eventually be abandoned and left in the past. Illini 4000 is just a part of that fight, but every effort is a step towards awareness, knowledge, and a cure, and that is why I am taking part.