About MeHello! My name is Natalie Rooney. I'm 23 years old and a native of Springfield, Missouri. I graduated from the University of Missouri in May 2013 with my Bachelor of Journalism degree in magazine journalism. However, I realized that wasn't quite the career path I wanted to pursue, so I decided to attend graduate school. I am now at the University of South Carolina pursuing my Master of Education in higher education and student affairs. This just means that someday I will work on college campuses serving students in any capacity. I will graduate in May 2015.
I am passionate about so many things in life, but some of my favorite things include running, baking, watching sports and being an avid fan of many teams (St. Louis Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Mizzou Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks), writing, reading, traveling, hiking, backpacking and serving others in any way that I can. |
Why I 4KWhile most people call me crazy for deciding to embark upon a literal cross-country run (and they're right, I am definitely a little crazy!), I wanted to explain why I'm doing this. In my master's program in student affairs, most students use the summer in between our two years to take on an internship at a university around the country to work in new student orientation, housing, Greek life or other parts of campus life. When I started the master's program, I had fully intended on using my summer to do that and gain student affairs experience directly within our field. However, as silly as it sounds, a single ad on my Facebook newsfeed shook things up for me.
One day in November, I spotted an ad for something called the "4K for Cancer." As a 12+ year participant of Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society, the ad immediately caught my attention.After a few minutes of reading, I learned that I could spend my summer running from coast-to-coast to raise funds and awareness for young adults with cancer. It was the perfect combination of my interests. I applied, interviewed and was somehow selected to an amazing team of 27 individuals who will be making an incredible impact this summer (check out the "About the 4K for Cancer" page for more about this journey). I also interviewed and was selected as one of two run directors for my team. I have always been a supporter of cancer research and awareness. Growing up, a fellow Girl Scout friend in my troop was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, so I knew about the disease early on in life. Throughout my years, I have seen many close family members, teachers, coaches or friends' family members get diagnosed. Many have triumphantly won their battle, but far too many have lost. My Uncle John was one of the most impactful examples of cancer affecting my life. He was a captain in the Navy and a dedicated family man. He was diagnosed twice with esophageal cancer. He beat cancer the first time but was diagnosed again and sadly died in 2008. I 4K because I believe that NO young adult should face cancer alone. I 4K because I believe in supporting people who have to suddenly and unexpectedly face such an ugly disease. I 4K for those who cannot. I passed up a summer internship in student affairs because I believe in making a difference across the country (literally). I know that the 4K for Cancer will allow me to have a great impact in the lives of many young adults that we meet between San Francisco and Baltimore. I am eager to hear the stories of these incredible young adults and the hosts we stay with. I hope that you will join me on my journey by keeping up with my blog and pictures. I can't wait to share our 4K stories with you! |