Last year, I earned a board position on a cancer research fundraising club on my college campus known as Harper Cancer Research Institute Society (HCRIS). At the first meeting of the year, all of the attendees were asked to share a little about their personal encounters with cancer, research, or why they decided to join the club. As we went around the circle and shared stories about loved ones — or for some, themselves — who were lost too soon to cancer, I felt both a deep helplessness and a determination. Even though I am unable to take away the burden of loss of those who have been impacted by cancer, I am priveleged enough to be in a position to help fight cancer in our society. I am receiving an incredible education and am able to contribute to research, even as an undergraduate student. Some day, I hope to be a doctor, working at the cutting edge of medicine to find a cure to cancer and other pressing concerns in the field. Currently, I am an undergraduate researcher in a Civil and Environmental Engineering lab that studies the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We have a specific focus on the clinical implications of P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. This fall, I presented a poster of my research at the Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. After my graduation from the University of Notre Dame, I plan on attending medical school. I hope to use my love for children as a pediatrician, likely in pediatric oncology. Regardless of what field I land in, I know that my background in research and passion for service will guide me.