Rashida Ross left Florida A&M and had no idea she wasn’t going to return.

Ross was a two-sport athlete from Houston, Texas, who came to FAMU to obtain a degree in biology. Her decision to attend FAMU was finalized after she made the 2010-2011 FAMU cheerleading squad.

However, cheering wasn’t enough to satisfy her athletic appetite. Even with a full-time load, Ross decided to walk onto the women’s track and field team for pole vault.

“Freshman year was one that I will never forget,” Ross said.

But as exciting as the highs were, the lows hit in the pit of her stomach. After completing her second semester in April 2011, Ross was diagnosed with stage 5 lymphoma, a type of cancer. Her first thought was, “Oh no, I have to tell my mom and she’s so emotional.” read more…