Todd Blake's life changed when he was diagnosed with cancer during his freshman year at UF. He has since graduated with a 4.0 GPA and has founded an organization to help other young adults battling cancer.

Jeannette Rizzi has written a one-woman show, hosts a podcast, and is working on a documentary she hopes will get picked up by HBO. But the Alachua native's motivation for her life's work is rooted in a tragic loss that sent shockwaves through the small-town community two decades ago.

Marvene Edwards tested positive for HIV in 1987. The 31-year-old mother of four was beaten, raped and shot in the head after walking home alone one night. She lived a life of drug and alcohol abuse for nearly a decade, but today she's giving back to others with HIV/AIDS in the community.