URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A University of Illinois student is turning a personal experience into a reason to spread awareness.

Kelsey Rothas hosted a breast cancer walk to share the message that no one is going through it alone. Students paid a $5 fee to gather at the quad and support a cause that means so much to so many. Rothas said breast cancer touched three women in her family. Only one of them, her mother, is a survivor.

She wants people to start thinking about how much the disease can impact now.

“I think it’s super important, especially at this age,” Rothas said. “Because a lot of the women are getting to the age where if they have it in their family they should be conscious of it, and be aware of all the risk factors and kind of everything around breast cancer.”

She encourages everyone to get educated about breast cancer. All sign-up fees for the event will help fund breast cancer research.