Dori Rogers
Hometown: Geneva, IL
University: University of Illinois
Major: Art Education and Photography
BIOGRAPHY
I am a fifth year senior here at U of I double majoring in Art Education and Photography and minoring in Spanish. I am from Geneva, Illinois and have been an Illini fan since I was born. I am one of three and love when my brother, sister, and I all get to be home together on breaks. During my time here I have been an enthusiastic member of Orange Krush, a part of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, and I also nanny for three super cute kids. During the spring semester of my junior year I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Cortona, Italy and travel to other European destinations. This experience taught me to be adventurous and try new things by myself. It also grew my confidence in being an independent traveler and gave me a thirst for discovering new places. Those travels still don’t feel like they happened to me and are collectively an experience that I am thankful for daily. In my free time I can usually be found binge-watching Netflix, painting, reading, pretending not to care whether the Cubs win or lose (I always want them to win), or cooking. I hope to become an art teacher and am looking forward to discovering what the future holds beyond graduation in spring 2016.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Cancer is one of those things that everyone can connect to, whether directly or indirectly. It brings difficulties, hardships, stress, “what could have been’s” and “what if’s”. No one should have to endure the feeling that comes directly after being told that they have cancer. While I am fortunate to be able to say that I have not lost any close family members or friends to cancer, I, like everyone else, have still been affected by it. In the spring of my senior year of high school, my good friend Kevin McDowell was diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. Kevin is one of the kindest, most sincere, and most determined people I know. He is a world class triathlete who was wildly successful at the time of his diagnosis. When he told me about his diagnosis, one of the first things he said was, “Every Olympian has a story.” Kevin has since beat cancer and is back to racing and chasing his Olympic dreams. His attitude and perseverance has been an incredible inspiration to not only me but to many. While his attitude and victory against cancer has had a positive influence on countless people, it is a battle that I hope will one day no longer exist. I hope to support research and raise awareness through raising money, biking across the country and sharing photos and stories. The knowledge that I might personally play a small role in the elimination of the diagnosis of cancer motivates me to participate in the Illini 4000.