Everyone in my family who's ever died, died of cancer," said Jodie Rothschild '03, a passionate advocate for cancer research. When Jodie was 11, her grandmother died of a brain tumor. About a year later, her grandfather, a professor at Cornell University and Rothschild's hero, died of prostate cancer. Her best friend's brother also died at an early age of leukemia.

Cancer research has always been in Rothschild's career goals. "In my senior year of high school, I took AP Biology and fell in love with the subject," she said. "At first I wanted to be an oncology surgeon, then I wanted to work in a research laboratory, then I changed my mind and decided to go to medical school."

Last summer, Rothschild interned with the National Cancer Institute and worked in the research laboratory of the Gynecological Oncology department, with her focus mainly on ovarian cancer. "A new Mayo clinic is being opened in Hawaii and, hopefully, I'll

be able to get funding and tissue samples there to facilitate my research at the University of Hawaii," she said.

Rothschild is currently a very active member-president, secretary and treasurer-of Amherst Students Fighting Cancer. "It was actually here a long time ago, fizzled out after a while and was recently revived by another girl from Hawaii," she said.

Also fluent in Japanese, Rothschild plans to spend a post-graduate year with the Japanese English Teachers program. "Now, I've decided to combine my love of teaching with my research and become a biology professor at the University of Hawaii," said Rothschild. "I'll also work in a cancer research laboratory out of class and I plan to publish journals about my findings."

Until she has a laboratory of her own, Rothschild will be contributing financially to others by leading the organization's daffodil sale for the American Cancer Society on Feb. 21, 22 and 25 in the Campus Center.