Crystal Ann Chaloupka

Crystal was born with a skip-beat heart, which means that her pulse had an extra beat, making breathing difficult at times, as her heart would struggle for oxygen.  Sonograms also showed a hole in her heart, which never closed up after birth.  Doctors told her that if she ever chose to have children, the highest levels of pregnancy hormones could possibly cause a clot, posing the threat of a heart attack.  Crystal is also diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, making focusing and staying positive difficult sometimes.  Along with her condition, Crystal has helped her mother through chemotherapy treatments treat colon cancer.

Crystal is attending the University of Texas at Austin as a sophomore, where she is pursuing a degree in Biology with a disiplinary in Marine and Freshwater Sciences.  Once she earns her Bachelors, she plans to continue on to earn her Doctorate in Marine Biology at Texas A&M, in Corpus Christi, her hometown.  She would like to study marine invertabrates and conservation towards precious marine habitats such as wetlands and reefs, which are under threat.  Evaluating the current state of these habitats and finding ways to responsibly use them are among her goals as she begins her career.

Despite all the challenges in her life, Crystal has never let them stop her.  To see her, one would never know she suffers from depression.  The skip beat in her heart never stops her from biking up some of the highest hills in Austin just to get to campus and back.  And a hole in her heart does not deter her from the dream of one day having children of her own.  By watching her mom, Crystal has learned that you can be strong despite your struggles.  To live her life with no regrets and to keep pushing forward, working towards her dreams, is the only way she knows to overcome any challenges life throws at her.  She just never loses hope.