Student takes 4,000-mile journey

She knows the sting of the wind in her face, the exhaustive heat of the overbearing sun on her shoulders, the ache in her calves as she hits mile after mile, every rhythmic bump she feels like the labor of her lungs in the dry summer air.

This is no ordinary bike ride.

Linda Hexter, mathematics senior and The Maroon’s photo editor, will spend her summer after graduation pedaling across the country as part of a service initiative called Bike and Build.

“I had three ideas for post-grad: one, stay in shape; two, travel; and three, help somebody somehow,” Hexter said.

Her trip will total 4,000 miles, beginning in Portland, Maine on June 17 and ending September 2 in Santa Barbara, California on the other side of the U.S.

If biking 4,000 miles wasn’t enough, Hexter and the other volunteer cyclists traveling cross-country will also be stopping along the way to assist affordable housing organizations in building 16 homes for those in need, raising money and awareness for the cause.

“I’ve been an advocate of the affordable housing cause for quite some time. The first time I did work with it was in high school when I visited Haiti and saw just how important it is that everyone has safe and affordable places to live,” Hexter said.

In preparation for her journey, Hexter started with the goal of raising $4,500 through bikeandbuild.org to help with expenses and to donate to the organizations she’ll be building with. As of May 11, she surpassed her goal, collecting $4,700 and pushing her to raise her goal to $8,000. She hopes to reach this new goal by June.

Out of the original $4,500 she raised, 55 percent will go to Hexter’s expenses during the trip, but the other 45 percent will go directly to the affordable housing associations along the way. As for the rest, 100 percent of anything that exceeds that $4,500 will also be donated to the cause.

Her longest continuous ride during the trip is 110 miles through California. While this avid cyclist is ready for the challenge, Hexter said she’s more eager about the volunteer work than the travels.

“I’m really excited for our build days,” Hexter said. “Technically, they are days off, but they’re the most rewarding days.”

Before her trip even begins, Hexter must first complete 500 miles of cycling, 10 hours of “sweat equity” building houses and participate in an affordable housing education curriculum that includes interviewing families benefiting from affordable housing programs and organization leaders.

However, Hexter is not the only Loyola student and cross-country biker taking a trip this summer in service of others.

Peter Herrick, political science junior and president of Pi Kappa Phi at Loyola, will be leaving June 3 from Seattle, Washington to bike 4,000 miles to Washington, D.C. with the fraternity’s philanthropy organization called the Ability Experience.

His trip is called “The Journey of Hope” and will raise money and awareness for those with disabilities.

“Training has been rough. I was never a cyclist, nor ridden a road bike before,” Herrick said. “But I couldn’t see myself graduating without having done this.”

With their start dates quickly approaching, there’s only one thing left to consider: what will they take away from this unique experience?

“You are really pushing yourself in every aspect of your personality with the fundraising, the training and the emotional challenge of going and developing a sense of empathy for people with disabilities every day,” Herrick said.

Hexter also said she expects to come away with more than just a summer vacation.

“I can’t wait to spend days in solidarity with the individuals whose lives we will change. I expect my life to be transformed by these people, and I’m looking forward to discovering exactly how that happens,” Hexter said.