Phil Kagebein
Hometown: Mundelein, IL
University: University of Illinois
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
BIOGRAPHY
Hey everyone, I'm King Phil! I'm currently a senior studying Materials Science and Engineering with an emphasis in Metallurgy. As of March I have accepted an offer to work as a Plant Metallurgist for Webco Industries out in Oil City Pennsylvania. Other than being a huge nerd and learning about metals in school, I also spend a great deal of time playing drums for the Marching Illini. I've been a percussionist since I was ten years old and have loved it ever since. Being a member of the drumline at U of I has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life; I wouldn't trade it for anything. Between school and band there's little free time left but I usually spend it by watching Cubs baseball or playing some old videogames my brother and I grew up on. Overall though, I'm all about having fun. I always want to try new things and I'm stoked to be a member of the 2017 Bike America Team. There's no better way to spend my last few months before I work for the rest of my life than riding a bike across the country. I can't wait to see the states in a way that very few can say they have, make some great friends along the ride, and most of all, raise money and awareness for such a great cause. Don't let my bio distract you from the fact that the Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 World Series to the Chicago Cubs.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Fortunately, I really haven’t been directly affected by cancer. One of my grandparents passed away long before I can remember and thankfully no one else in my family has lost a battle to cancer since, so I’ve never had to deal with losing a family member. However, as everyone else probably has, I've seen how cancer can drastically change the lives of those afflicted with it and their family members. I’ve had multiple friends lose their fathers to cancer when they were only in high school. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like losing your dad at the age of 16 or 17. It's a terrible disease and hopefully my small actions like fundraising and helping document the experiences of others through the Portraits Project can help ease the burden cancer brings to so many yearly.