Mindi Gill

Mindi Gill has some great stories to tell. But if you want to hear them, you have to catch her first.

The University of Houston-Victoria graduate student is often on the go – hiking, rock climbing, biking and more.

“I do pretty much anything,” the 25-year-old said. “It keeps me in shape and I like being out in the sun.”

That love of adventure goes back as far she can remember. Gill began her favorite pastime, surfing, around third grade.

“When I was a kid, my friend and his family took me surfing,” she said. “After that, I got obsessed with it. The first time I stood up a board, I’ll never forget it.”

Gill’s active lifestyle benefits more than just herself. Any time she runs a marathon or race, she uses it as a chance to raise funds for cancer research, increasing awareness and working toward a cure.

One motivation is her father, who battled lymphoma of the stomach and is now cancer-free.

Gill was born in Korea but moved to Victoria when she was about 1 ½ years old, after her parents adopted her and her sister.

She stayed close to home for college, taking up studies at UHV, and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management. Next semester, she begins the university’s Master of Business Administration program.

“I’ve always been interested in the business world,” she said, explaining she isn’t quite sure what the future holds after her master’s degree. “I’m thinking about going into human resources management, but I don’t know yet.”

Athletics and coursework aren’t the only things filling up Gill’s calendar. She also works about 50 hours as a service adviser for a Victoria car company and spends time with friends when possible.

She admitted it isn’t always easy to stay on top of it all.

“I pretty much just write myself a schedule and go from there,” she explained. “I dedicate every day to a different class and run on that schedule. And it works.”

When she does get stressed out, that’s when Gill takes to the outdoors. She advised others to do the same.

“Find a hobby,” she said. “Just get out and find something to help you take your mind off of things. It really can make a difference.”