Junior Courtney Rauch is a student researcher.
For the past two years, she was also a breast cancer patient.
Rauch works with Dr. Steven Buechler, the chair of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, to compile and organize data about breast cancer treatment.
"He's doing research where he's not really finding a cure for cancer, but he's finding out ways to group breast cancer patients so you know which treatment … they would respond to," Rauch said. "The way it is now, a lot of people get chemo when they don't actually need chemo. The chemo isn't necessarily the best treatment to help them."
Rauch spent the last two years splitting her time between surgery and student life. She is now cancer-free.
ND Minute spent some time with Rauch to learn about her "let's fix it" attitude, her love of math and her experience with breast cancer.
"It's kind of given me the mentality that you don't wait for things," Rauch said. "I try to make the most out of everything that I do here. Coming in, I knew I only have four years here and I have to make the most of college, but the fact that I had to miss school and occasionally I thought I would have to stay home an entire semester … I dedicate myself to everything I do as much as I can."