I'm excited to be participating in my first AIDS Walk! The first time I can recall learning about HIV and AIDS was during The Real World: San Francisco. I remember being intrigued by the late Pedro Zamora's story and hoping that somehow he would pull through. Despite him succumbing to the disease, he left a lasting impression on me.

Years later, I would become friends with individuals that are HIV+. I don't have the resources to fund multimillion-dollar research initiatives but I hope that I can make some degree of difference by walking and raising awareness to help them, carry on Pedro's legacy, and honor the many people that have succumbed to this unfortunate disease.