• Angela Mathers: NDSU graduate student in sociology, graduate assistant at NDSU's Equity and Diversity Center.

• Is: Running Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon in St. Joseph, Minn., on May 8, to raise funds for Claudia, Maria Merces, Carmen and Ernesto, a family who live in a garbage dump she met while in Guatemala. The trip was part of a 3-credit International Service Seminar offered at NDSU.

• Fund raising goal: $4,000. She's about half way there.

• Number of miles she'll have run by the time she completes the marathon: 486, 
which is like running from Fargo to Minneapolis and back.

• She runs with: her iPod, and shin splints, while completing an 18 week training plan, running 20 to 40 miles each week.

• It's worth it: "It makes me feel more connected to humanity on a global level. I don't think about the people that I'm serving as statistics or numbers; they're Claudia, Maria Mercedes, Carmen and Ernesto. They're sweet children who deserve nothing but the best. I've become a more engaged member of my global community."

You can reach Angela at Angela.m.mathers@ndsu.edu