Update! Thank you too everybody who has donated! I have a few hundred left to raise and I'm very proud at how far I've come to raise the $3700 of my $4000 goal so far!
Hi everybody! I'm Jen Hunt, and I am a born-and-raised Floridian with an insatiable case of wanderlust and passion for helping others. I attend the University of Florida, and I will graduate on April 30th with a degree in Advertising from the College of Journalism and Communications. I grew up in Naples, Florida, the furthest south you can live on the west coast without running into the Everglades. While I do feel an attachment to the characteristically sunny days, beautiful beaches, and countless alligators, I am ready to move on and begin a new chapter of my life somewhere new. What could be a more epic way to kick off my post-college years than pedaling from the Atlantic to the Pacific on a bike?
My experience with biking began when I was five. The very moment my parents freed my little bike of training wheels, I had my first taste of that unmistakable feeling of freedom that biking provokes. Unfortunately for me, this freedom sent me straight down the hill in front of my house (yes, a hill in Florida) and directly into a lone tree across the street. Even from a young age, my stubbornness for success did not let my first major crash hinder my dreams of riding without falling down. Countless scraped knees, bruises, and salty tears later, I was soon riding my heart out as far as I was allowed from dawn until dusk. This love has not abated in the slightest and now, more so than ever, I am in love with cycling and cannot wait to conquer almost 4,000 miles of open road this summer for such a great cause.
I do not have much experience with affordable housing yet, but I enjoy learning about issues that matter most in this country and making a tangible difference. As an advertising student, I am very interested in organizations that achieve goals in unique ways, and in the process gain a huge following and level of success. Bike and Build takes the credibility of Habitat for Humanity and allows passionate young people to take charge and raise awareness by doing something monumental that attracts a staggering amount of interest. I think that is too cool to not be a part of.
Last summer, I worked at a YMCA in California where I was a Teen Adventure Camp Counselor. Along with three other counselors, I took teens on twelve day trips with an itinerary of rock climbing, backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail near Lake Tahoe, kayaking gorgeous Emerald Bay, whitewater rafting the American River, and chasing away numerous hungry black bears. Working with teenagers and seeing the positive effects of their time in the outdoors, completely disconnected from technology and without societal comforts, was unbelievably rewarding, as was spending 48 days total sleeping under the stars. The experience turned my love for the both the outdoors and improving the lives of others into a passion.
I'm so pumped for this summer to begin! I can't wait to dip my wheels into the Atlantic and the Pacific, experience life from a new American town each day, climb mountain passes in the Rockies, and most importantly, make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Is it May yet?
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