Additional honors and achievements:
Member University of Kansas Women’s Rowing Team 2003-present
Member Student Athlete Advisory Committee 2005-present
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Principles of Human Physiology
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Human Anatomy
Lawrence Memorial Hospital Volunteer
Member 1st Novice 8 crew that placed 1st at Knect Cup and South Central Regionals Spring 2004
University of Kansas Crimson Crew 2003-2004
Member University of Kansas Track and Field Team 2002-2003

How I became interested in my area of study/research/discipline:
I went into the field of Journalism with an emphasis in Strategic Communication (marketing/advertising) because I enjoy composing and designing creative projects and thought advertising would be a great field in which to pursue this. However, after beginning the program, I realized it wasn’t something I could see myself doing throughout my future. After a series of unfortunate family events, I was introduced to nursing and found out there are many great career opportunities available in the field of nursing, as well as a high need for them right now in our country. I grew up in a small town where I always had a number of people in my life that were there to help me if I ever needed it and I was always there to help others when they were in need. Nursing seems like a very worthwhile career in which I will be able to make a difference in other people’s lives, while in turn, they will be making a difference in mine.

An honor, achievement or accomplishment that is most meaningful to me:
I would have to say that my most meaningful achievements are my academic achievements. I have been able to maintain exceptional academic standards year after year, all while managing the very demanding time commitment involved in being a full-time student-athlete. Both accomplishments have better prepared me for handling challenging situations that may come my way in the future.

Someone I admire:
I would have to say two people I really admire are the other two women in my family, my mom, Arlene Fasbender, and my sister, Chanelle Fasbender. Both of them are very strong and determined women that have been wonderful role models for me to follow throughout my life.

My mother, aside from being a dedicated teacher for over 35 years, is, of course, also a ‘Mom’. As far back as I can remember, she has always been the type of person who starts working when the sun comes up and doesn’t go to bed until long after it goes down. She was always on the go making sure that my siblings and I were in the right place at the right time and had everything we needed. She can make any mountainous problem seem like a hill in a matter of minutes, even if she’s far away over the phone. I also admire the way she rarely lets anything bother her, as life is too short to sweat the small stuff. I just hope that one day I have as much energy as she does now.

My sister, Chanelle, has been my best friend my whole life. Where ever one of us went, the other was soon to follow. Within the last year, she has moved from being a small town Kansas girl and Lawrence Alum to being a resident of Los Angeles, CA, where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California, which is considered to be one of the top-most physical therapy schools in the country. Her enduring determination and hard work throughout her education has enabled her to be accepted to USC in order to pursue her dream. It is because of these characteristics she displays that I admire her greatly, while I am also very proud of her.

Someone who has been influential or had a significant impact on my life:
I would have to say no one has had more of an impact on my life than my family: my dad, Ken Fasbender, my mom, Arlene Fasbender, my older brother, Nick Fasbender, and my older sister, Chanelle Fasbender. They are the people I grew up with and who have been there for me no matter what. They are always there to support and encourage me, being my biggest fans no matter what it is I am participating. My parents always taught me to be the best I can be and to strive for nothing less. They also taught me to challenge myself rather than taking the easy way out of something. They taught me to respect all other people and to be grateful for everything I have because there are so many people who have nothing at all. My faith and trust in God has come from growing up in a very Christian family, knowing that all we have comes from him.

There is also another group who has had a significant impact on my life and that is the girls who have been members of the University of Kansas Women’s Rowing team with me. These girls have been the most remarkable ‘second family’ you could ever ask for. We all come from many different places with a variety of different backgrounds, yet every single one of them is like a sister to me. They are the type of girls that will do anything for you, at any time, no matter what it is. Each girl brings her own unique personality to the team, and together, there is a great unity that is created. This team has taught me countless life-lessons that couldn’t have been learned anywhere else and I will take them with me wherever I go in the hopes of being able to share them with others in the future.

Most favorite memory as a student:
I would have to say my most memorable experience here at KU was during March Madness my freshman year (spring 2003) when KU made it to the National Championship in basketball. Following each successive win throughout the tournament, there was unbelievable celebrating “Mardis Gras” style on Mass. St. way into the early hours of the morning. The support of athletics here at KU is astounding and I am so glad to have been able to be a part of this program and have had the opportunity to experience it.

An important life lesson I have learned:
One of the most important life lessons I have learned is that money is definitely not everything. The people you meet, the times you experience, and the memories you make are inevitably priceless and nothing you can buy, no matter how luxurious, can ever compare to or replace these.

Another important lesson I have learned is that you should never live your life trying to please everyone else. Only when you start doing what it is that you want to do for yourself will you truly be thinking for yourself and on your way to achieving your own life’s goals.

A favorite quote or saying:
What the future holds, we are unsure; but what we are sure, is who holds the future.

This quote reminds me that no matter how difficult life may be at times, God has a plan for each and every one of us. As long as we have faith in him, we can trust that what is happening in our lives is a means to get to what he wants us to find in the end.

My hope for the world:
My hope for the world is that all fighting will stop and our troops will soon be able to return to their families.