BIOGRAPHY

Hi! I’m Hanna, and I am a Senior studying Statistics & Economics with a minor in Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I grew up in Milpitas, California (which ironically is Spanish for “little cornfields”). Aside from riding bikes, I love cooking and baking (you can follow my edible creations @hannafeasts on Instagram :D), visiting my favorite restaurants, and trying new vegetables I’ve never heard of at the local farmers’ markets! On Wednesdays, you can find me in the kitchen at UniPlace Church, where I have been working as Kitchen Manager for the past two years making free dinner for the community to combat food insecurity in Champaign-Urbana. In school, I am on the executive board for Outdoor Adventure Club, UniPlace Community Service RSO, and Inline Insomniacs. I love exploring the outdoors, and I am so excited to be riding with this year’s Illini 4000 team and be able to do that while making a difference in peoples’ lives!

PERSONAL STATEMENT

My grandfather was one of my greatest role models growing up. Despite the language barrier, he made sure to express his love by making all of my favorite foods whenever I visited, and was a big source of inspiration for my passion for cooking and Chinese cuisine. He was diagnosed with cancer and ended up getting surgery to remove the cancer, but complications from the surgery greatly impacted his quality of life after that. He unfortunately passed away in 2020, but I am thankful for the time I got to spend with him. I am dedicating this ride to my grandfather, and all of my family and friends who have been impacted by the loss of a loved one. Knowing firsthand how heartbreaking it is to watch a loved one’s health deteriorate and how scary it can be, I hope to help alleviate the pain for cancer patients and their families by raising awareness for this cause and helping them tell their stories.