Mia Forster '21
Mia Forster '21 ran approximately a half marathon two summers ago. Then the next day, she did it again. And then the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that...
Mia Forster '21 had always wanted to work in fashion. Out of high school, she scored a seat in a prestigious fashion school in Florence. She went off to Italy to chase her dream, and after one year, she hated it. She didn't like the people, she didn't like the culture, she didn't know what to do.
Remember that scene in Forrest Gump (if you haven't seen the 1994 Academy Award-winning film, minor spoiler alert) when Forrest decides "to go for a little run." His little run, of course, ended up being a jog from ocean to ocean and back again. Mia was a runner in high school, and she had always connected with that scene. It made sense to leave all of the fears and frustrations of life behind and just... run. Mia found herself in Italy, she didn't want to be there, and she just wanted to escape. So, like Forrest, she ran. Actually, she went to Google and typed in "How do I run across the country like Forrest Gump?"
Google, as it often does, had the answer. The Ulman Foundation sponsors a cross country, 4,000 mile run to support young adults affected by cancer. To qualify, you must raise $4,500, you must be an accomplished runner, and you must know someone who has personally battled cancer. Mia checked all three boxes. And then she bought a plane ticket to San Francisco. One-way. She'd be running home to Massachusetts.
Mia was assigned to a team of 23 other runners. Most of them were in their early to mid-20s; Mia was the youngest. Each team member touched the Pacific Ocean, ran across the Golden Gate bridge, and charted their course for the Boston Harbor. Each member of the team would run between 10 and 16 miles per day, with a partner, relay style. Each day, they'd be up at 4:00 in the morning, they'd log their miles, and then visit with cancer patients in the random towns they'd pass through, before falling asleep around midnight in a sleeping bag, often on a church floor.
Each runner wrote the name of a cancer victim or survivor on their leg. It was their motivation to keep running when the grueling miles and adversity would make most people quit (for example, when the stress fracture in Mia's foot made it almost impossible to tie her shoe). At the start of the race, Mia ran for her maternal grandmother. Mid-way through the race, her paternal grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Mia added her name to her other leg.
On their 49th day, Mia and her team made it to Boston. Together, they ran the back half of the Boston marathon route, and followed it to the Atlantic. Mia was crying when she reached into the ocean (tears of happiness and pain).
Mia said it took a couple of weeks to assimilate back into reality. When she did, she found the clarity she was looking for. She started running because she needed to find her purpose in life. She found it among the cancer patients in the tiny towns across America. She was moved by their courage and their stories and she wanted to share them with the world. That's why she decided to leave Italy, transfer to Siena, and enroll in the communications program. Mia intends to become a news reporter. Maybe the career will take her all over the country? For a second time.
Mia's mom is a Siena alumnus, Class of 1984. She suggested Mia take a look at the Loudonville campus, but that was only half of the recruiting process. Mia wanted to run cross country, but she needed to find a coach that was willing to gamble a roster spot on a runner who hadn't run on a team in two years. That proved difficult. And then she met John Kenworthy.
"Mia approached us from an unusual situation. She was at an Italian university, running on her own and doing some local trail races. But her family has ties to Siena, so she understood what our community was about, which is always a great start when we recruit athletes. Her love of running was evident from our first conversation, and it seemed like she would be a great fit in our Siena cross country family. She brings a level of detail and commitment to her training and to our program every day, and her huge improvements since being on campus have been a true reflection of that dedication and passion."
John Kenworthy, head men's and women's cross country/track coach
"John recruits underdogs and sees the potential in all of us, and I think that's awesome."
Mia Forster '21
Rosie Bello '20
Someday, Rosie Bello '20 will need a stranger with a good heart. Her life depends on it.
When Rosie regained consciousness, she freaked out. She wasn't concerned about escaping the mangled wreckage of her car or assessing her own potentially banged up condition. Rosie simply could not believe she destroyed the car. She figured her dad would be furious. Turns out, he didn't care. Her dad was much more worried about why his teenage daughter had a heart attack while driving.
Doctors gave Rosie a 50/50 chance of survival at birth. She was born with a congenital heart defect that needed emergency surgery at just a few months old. Twenty-two years later, her heart is still ticking, but it was never completely fixed. Rosie underwent a second open heart surgery when she was 16 and had her first heart attack a year later.
During her junior year of high school, Rosie was running on a treadmill when her heart stopped beating, temporarily. She passed out, smacked her head against the floor, and spent a month in the hospital. The police took her phone into evidence. They suspected she might have been drugged. Nope, just a heart attack, three months shy of her 18th birthday. Rosie saw a neurologist because of the head injury, and for a while, she couldn't remember family members' names.
Her heart doctors inserted a pacemaker, but that's not a perfect solution either (hence heart attack number two and the car accident). But for every setback, Rosie's looked forward. She credits her mom and dad for that. Rosie's parents are both from the Dominican Republic. Neither spoke English when they moved to New York City and as far as Rosie's concerned, that sounds way more intimidating than a heart condition. Both her parents received an education, and her dad is just a handful of credits short of a doctorate. Rosie has always followed their example and the wisdom in her favorite quote:
"Turn your demons into art, your shadow into your friend, your fears into fuel, your mistakes into teachers, and your weaknesses into reasons to keep fighting. Don't waste your pain. Recycle your heart." - Anonymous
Rosie enrolled at Siena as undecided Liberal Arts. She ultimately wanted to be a cardiologist, so she could connect with patients on a personal level (in ways her doctors could not always be with her). But after two years, Rosie found a new passion, and a slightly different calling. She hopes to attend Albany Law School next year. She's by no means bailing on the sick, she just wants to advocate for them differently.
Rosie experienced complications from her first heart attack, and the most severe issues could have been avoided. Rosie suffered because of preventable mistakes - financially, physically, and emotionally - and she had clear grounds for a lawsuit. Her family decided not to pursue a malpractice suit - under the impression that all decisions had been made in good faith - but, now law is precisely the career Rosie intends to pursue. She's currently working for the Department of Health in the Legal Affairs Division, and intends to work on medical malpractice cases in the future.
Also, in the future, she'll need a new heart. There's a shelf life on transplants, so Rosie's trying to make this one last as long as she can. Don't waste your pain. Recycle your heart.
"Most view my condition as a major obstacle in my life, I view it as a blessing. I strongly believe my condition has built me as an individual and, in turn, helped create my individuality. I've developed and embodied the characteristics of strength, optimism, resilience, determination, and growth all thanks to this blessing that I've carried since birth. Although my condition has made me question God's plan for me, I've learned to embrace the struggle rather than stress over it.
Becoming an attorney is simply another goal I wish to conquer. I have no limits in my mind, and I know I can accomplish anything. Remember the only person stopping you from achieving your goals and dreams is YOU. Live for today and work towards a better tomorrow."
Rosie Bello '20