As a member of the Illini 4000, BSIS student Riddhima Patllollu biked from New York City to San Francisco to raise awareness of cancer and raise funds for cancer research. Patllollu, a junior from New Jersey, decided to join the nonprofit organization in her freshman year to expand her worldview and mark a new chapter in her life.
"One of the main reasons I was drawn to Illini 4000's mission was The Portraits Project, the organization's collection of interviews with people that riders meet on the road about their cancer experiences. Hearing their stories of resilience and positivity was one of the most impactful parts of the ride, and I often find myself returning to those memories," she said.
In 2024, Patllollu was part of the eighteen-member team that rode through cities large and small as well as through national parks and forests in Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, and California. Along the more than 4,500-mile route, she met new people and built physical strength, but, more notably, her knowledge of cancer changed, she "gained a deeper, firsthand understanding of a complex disease that affects millions and spares no one."
Patllollu currently serves as marketing director for the nonprofit, a role she enjoys. "Spreading the word about an experience as unique and meaningful as Illini 4000 is very rewarding."
Her marketing experience includes a stint this past summer as a social media and communications intern at the University of Illinois Research Park. In addition to Illini 4000, Patllollu is involved in Design Innovation, a student design collective working on user interface/user experience projects. She chose to major in information sciences because she wanted to work in the tech industry but was not interested in "traditional roles like coding or data analysis."
"I've always been interested in the intersection of design, technology, and people, and the user experience/human-computer interaction pathway within information sciences put that passion into words for me," she said.
After graduating (a year early) in the spring, Patllollu hopes to work in New York City in marketing or user interface/user experience. In her free time, she enjoys creative hobbies like sewing, crocheting, and scrapbooking and working on a YouTube channel for video essays.
She looks forward to going on more bike rides in the future—albeit shorter ones.
"Having completed the ride with Illini 4000, I can now say with confidence that anyone can do it. I wasn’t especially athletic or mentally fortified before joining the team, but I came out stronger and more empathetic. For me, the biggest takeaway was realizing that trying your best and holding onto hope for your fellow humans is one of the most powerful ways to live," she said.
Patllollu encourages students interested in joining the 2026 team to complete an application by September 27, 2025.