My Solo USA Bike Tour

During the summer of 2014 when I was 19 years old, I set out on a solo bike tour across the country. In May, I flew to Seattle, WA with my bike and gear and set course to peddle my way back home in time for my mom's birthday in August.  Over 89 days, I biked, camped, and sometimes hitch-hiked across 5,000 miles spanning Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama to return home to Florida. Along the way, I made fast friends with complete strangers and fundraised over $2,000 for the Alexander Hamilton Scholars Program to benefit mentorship and leadership development of low-income, disadvantaged high school students nationally.

For more information, pictures, and anecdotes, check out my bike tour blog on: www.facebook.com/vanonabike 

The Alexander Hamilton Scholars Program is a Seattle based non-profit organization founded by George Cox and Bill Thomas focused on assisting high-achieving students across the nation who lack the financial resources and personal support. The Hamilton Scholars organization actively works to empower and help selected students gain acceptance into college and transitioning successfully to university life and the workforce. In 2012, I was selected as 1 of 35 Hamilton Scholars from a nationwide pool of high-achieving high school students.

Hamilton Scholars are invited to several leader week events where their formal education is supplemented with leadership training, internships, financial assistance, and goal-setting activities. Hamilton Scholars organization is able to help its Scholars emerge from college ready to confront the multi-faceted challenges of our nation and our world.

I am grateful to countless individuals and corporate sponsors, including but not limited to those listed here.