I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at age 14 which was incredibly confusing considering it was not something I had grown up with and assimilated to since I was young. It was completely new and very intimidating. Everything I knew about it was what I had heard from media and society, a disease most people had because of an unhealthy diet and an unhealthy weight. However, my transition was made incredibly easy because of the doctors at the UW-Children's hospital. They introduced me to the depth of careers in the medical field. During my stay in the hospital alone, I had talked to at least five different types of doctors or nurses. I was inspired by their passion and how much they had changed my life even in the few days I was with them. My experiences through being diagnosed with diabetes have led me to where I am today, I am attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hope to pursue a career in the medical field. The value general healthcare providers give to their communities is immeasurable, however, there is still a lot of change that needs to be made within the system. Along with a career I love and can be successful in, I hope to be passionate enough about it to make a change. Along with inspirations for my future, the burden of having diabetes has taught me to be more independent, disciplined, and patient. You learn how to do for yourself what normal bodies do themselves. You learn how to balance your food, insulin, and exercise. The responsibility that comes with taking on these tasks all at once gives you discipline. I have managed my disease independently for the last four years, maintaining good health the whole time. As physically demanding as the disease is, it also tests your mental health. I’ve learned how to be patient when nothing is going my way and to persevere through the challenges I face. Most importantly, it has given me perspective. I’m able to appreciate so many more things in my life. Just three months after being diagnosed, I had an educational, service-based trip to Costa Rica planned and I was determined to go. I was leaving the country for the first time on a trip without my parents while still learning how to handle a life-changing disease. My experiences from the trip meant so much more knowing the challenges I overcame to get there. The week was full of adventure, zip-lining over the rainforest, white water rafting, and swimming at the base of a waterfall. These experiences opened my eyes to what life has to offer outside of my small world. We also went to a local school in La Fortuna to teach English to elementary children and learned some Spanish from them as well. I was able to connect with some of the students, talking with them about their lifestyle and culture. I was amazed to find the language barrier didn't separate us. These little moments were what I enjoyed the most from my trip. The struggles that come with having diabetes certainly take their toll, however they also allow me to have a greater appreciation for my life and what I choose to do with it. These challenges have allowed me to see that diabetes does not limit me; whether it's participating in the sports I love, maintaining good health, or traveling and learning about other cultures. I'm an independent, disciplined adult, more ready to persevere, explore and learn about the world around me and where I will fit into it because of my diagnosis.

I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at age 14 which was incredibly confusing considering it was not something I had grown up with and assimilated to since I was young. It was completely new and very intimidating. Everything I knew about it was what I had heard from media and society, a disease most people had because of an unhealthy diet and an unhealthy weight. However, my transition was made incredibly easy because of the doctors at the UW-Children's hospital. They introduced me to the depth of careers in the medical field. During my stay in the hospital alone, I had talked to at least five different types of doctors or nurses. I was inspired by their passion and how much they had changed my life even in the few days I was with them. My experiences through being diagnosed with diabetes have led me to where I am today, I am attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hope to pursue a career in the medical field. The value general healthcare providers give to their communities is immeasurable, however, there is still a lot of change that needs to be made within the system. Along with a career I love and can be successful in, I hope to be passionate enough about it to make a change. Along with inspirations for my future, the burden of having diabetes has taught me to be more independent, disciplined, and patient. You learn how to do for yourself what normal bodies do themselves. You learn how to balance your food, insulin, and exercise. The responsibility that comes with taking on these tasks all at once gives you discipline. I have managed my disease independently for the last four years, maintaining good health the whole time. As physically demanding as the disease is, it also tests your mental health. I’ve learned how to be patient when nothing is going my way and to persevere through the challenges I face. Most importantly, it has given me perspective. I’m able to appreciate so many more things in my life. Just three months after being diagnosed, I had an educational, service-based trip to Costa Rica planned and I was determined to go. I was leaving the country for the first time on a trip without my parents while still learning how to handle a life-changing disease. My experiences from the trip meant so much more knowing the challenges I overcame to get there. The week was full of adventure, zip-lining over the rainforest, white water rafting, and swimming at the base of a waterfall. These experiences opened my eyes to what life has to offer outside of my small world. We also went to a local school in La Fortuna to teach English to elementary children and learned some Spanish from them as well. I was able to connect with some of the students, talking with them about their lifestyle and culture. I was amazed to find the language barrier didn't separate us. These little moments were what I enjoyed the most from my trip. The struggles that come with having diabetes certainly take their toll, however they also allow me to have a greater appreciation for my life and what I choose to do with it. These challenges have allowed me to see that diabetes does not limit me; whether it's participating in the sports I love, maintaining good health, or traveling and learning about other cultures. I'm an independent, disciplined adult, more ready to persevere, explore and learn about the world around me and where I will fit into it because of my diagnosis.

I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at age 14 which was incredibly confusing considering it was not something I had grown up with and assimilated to since I was young. It was completely new and very intimidating. Everything I knew about it was what I had heard from media and society, a disease most people had because of an unhealthy diet and an unhealthy weight. However, my transition was made incredibly easy because of the doctors at the UW-Children's hospital. They introduced me to the depth of careers in the medical field. During my stay in the hospital alone, I had talked to at least five different types of doctors or nurses. I was inspired by their passion and how much they had changed my life even in the few days I was with them. My experiences through being diagnosed with diabetes have led me to where I am today, I am attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hope to pursue a career in the medical field. The value general healthcare providers give to their communities is immeasurable, however, there is still a lot of change that needs to be made within the system. Along with a career I love and can be successful in, I hope to be passionate enough about it to make a change. Along with inspirations for my future, the burden of having diabetes has taught me to be more independent, disciplined, and patient. You learn how to do for yourself what normal bodies do themselves. You learn how to balance your food, insulin, and exercise. The responsibility that comes with taking on these tasks all at once gives you discipline. I have managed my disease independently for the last four years, maintaining good health the whole time. As physically demanding as the disease is, it also tests your mental health. I’ve learned how to be patient when nothing is going my way and to persevere through the challenges I face. Most importantly, it has given me perspective. I’m able to appreciate so many more things in my life. Just three months after being diagnosed, I had an educational, service-based trip to Costa Rica planned and I was determined to go. I was leaving the country for the first time on a trip without my parents while still learning how to handle a life-changing disease. My experiences from the trip meant so much more knowing the challenges I overcame to get there. The week was full of adventure, zip-lining over the rainforest, white water rafting, and swimming at the base of a waterfall. These experiences opened my eyes to what life has to offer outside of my small world. We also went to a local school in La Fortuna to teach English to elementary children and learned some Spanish from them as well. I was able to connect with some of the students, talking with them about their lifestyle and culture. I was amazed to find the language barrier didn't separate us. These little moments were what I enjoyed the most from my trip. The struggles that come with having diabetes certainly take their toll, however they also allow me to have a greater appreciation for my life and what I choose to do with it. These challenges have allowed me to see that diabetes does not limit me; whether it's participating in the sports I love, maintaining good health, or traveling and learning about other cultures. I'm an independent, disciplined adult, more ready to persevere, explore and learn about the world around me and where I will fit into it because of my diagnosis.

My playlist consists of powerful female artists that use their platform to confront and push back against society's expectations of females. I chose The Last Great American Dynasty as the song that inspires me because I grew up listening to Taylor Swift. When society tried to credit all of her success to the boys that broke her heart, or any other male in her industry, she would not let them. She owned her success and didn't apologize. I included other inspiring feminists like Beyoncé, Lizzo, Demi Lovato, and the Dixie Chicks, who redefine what it means to be a woman.

In order to find a career, you will be both successful in and enjoy you must find what you are passionate about. Being passionate will give you the drive you need to get the education and training needed to enter the field as well as become successful later on. It will also allow you to show up every day and perform to the best of your ability. Passion will allow you to find the career you love and as long as you love it you will find value in it. At age fourteen I had begun developing strange symptoms I could not quite figure out the reasoning behind. I had passed out twice and began to have headaches quite frequently. It was Easter weekend at my grandpa's house when I passed out for the second time. My family was quite concerned at this point so they took me into the nearest emergency center where they ran a bunch of tests and diagnosed me with Type 1 Diabetes. Hearing this at fourteen years old was very damaging, I was confused because I had always thought of that disease as something that had to do with being overweight and unhealthy and I knew that's what everyone else would think as well when they heard I had diabetes. However, over the next few days in the hospital, I was helped by different staff from the hospital, each one having a different specialty relating to Type 1 Diabetes. Each person comforted me and helped me through each problem I was struggling with, offering me their advice and any answers to every question I had. This made my transition to my new lifestyle immensely easier. I was able to leave the hospital assured I could handle the changes I would encounter. This made me realize I want to do the same thing these doctors were able to do for me. This experience also introduced me to the depth of career paths within the medical field. I was shocked by the number of career paths specifically relating to endocrinology and could not imagine how much further it went. This allowed me to be confident that I would find the path that I would best fit into. I plan to go to college, major in biology, and pursue a career in the medical field. The healthcare system helps families stay united with their loved ones, allows people to have second chances at a life they were not yet finished with, and relieve pain and suffering in hopes to make them live fuller lives. It focuses' on groundbreaking research that aims at curing different diseases millions of people suffer through. I believe by following a career path in any area of the medical field I will be adding value to the world. Simply helping one family can make the biggest difference. The value general healthcare providers give to their communities is immeasurable, however, there is still a lot of change that needs to be made within the system. I want to help those who struggle to receive the help they need. I plan to talk with those that currently work in the system to be able to better understand what individual jobs involve. I want to help people directly through healthcare as well as those who are denied healthcare due to challenges in their life. That is the value I want to add to the system. Along with a career I love and can be successful in, I hope to be passionate enough about it to make a change.

I have always been someone who has loved being busy and adventuring. I am not a stay at home person, I love to travel and be with people. This made it so much harder when I was diagnosed with a life-changing disease. At age fourteen I had begun developing strange symptoms I could not quite figure out the reasoning behind. I was constantly thirsty despite constantly having to go to the bathroom. I had passed out twice and began to have headaches quite frequently. It was Easter weekend at my grandpa's house when I passed out for the second time. My family was quite concerned at this point so they took me into the nearest emergency center where they ran a bunch of tests and diagnosed me with Type 1 Diabetes. Hearing this at fourteen years old was very damaging, I was confused because I had always thought of that disease as something that had to do with being overweight and unhealthy and I knew that's what everyone else would think as well when they heard I had diabetes. At the time I was involved in four different sports, soccer, hockey, cross country, and track which only added to my confusion. How could someone young and active have diabetes? Over the next few days, I learned how I would have to change simple things in my life such as eating and exercising. I would have to count the carbs in everything I ate, I would have to check my blood sugar throughout practices, navigate when I would need to eat sugar before them, and sometimes have to sit out on an activity because of it. One of my first days back to school had been very rough. I needed to spend the majority of my day with the nurse figuring out how to manage my health at school. I had begun to talk to my friends about my diagnosis, anxious because I did not know what they would think. I had broken the bottle containing my medicine and just found out I needed to sit out of my track practice that day because of my glucose numbers. I remember sitting in the locker room while everyone else was out practicing. I thought if one day was this hard, how could I get through every other day. But I figured it out and became determined to live my life as normal as I could. I decided it has already taken my sense of security and some sense of normalcy, so I would not allow it to take any more than necessary. I had a trip to Costa Rica with my 8th-grade class planned in a few months, and I was determined to go. It was risky considering I had not fully adapted to the changes I had to make in my life and would soon be in a completely different country than my parents. But I was not going to let my disease stop me from experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. So I went, and it was an amazing trip. To this day, it is the best trip I have taken. I was able to experience so many unbelievable things I could never have imagined. I visited a local elementary school and taught them English and learned Spanish from them, I went white water rafting and zip-lining, and I experienced the culture; it was remarkable. They have a motto, Pura Vida. It means pure life. They have such a welcoming, safe, adventurous community that I will forever be grateful I got to experience. This trip assured me that my life would be full of adventure and love and that I was in control of whether I missed out on anything. The disease may hold me back, but I am the one who decides if it stops me. I have also been able to help others through this same experience. My neighbor was diagnosed two years ago, and at that time, I had been managing my own diagnosis for 2 years. She came to me scared and confused, just like I was. I assured her that as scary as it seems, she can overcome it. She can overcome the insecurity of what people think when you tell them you have Type 1 Diabetes and the fear of not knowing what health-related issues diabetes might cause. I comforted her in her fears and helped her with the struggles she was facing. Being able to help her gave me at least one positive thing from this horrible disease. I want to keep being that comfort and assistance in people's lives. The hardships I have faced pushed me towards a passion for helping others. Along with a love for science, these things lead me to the medical field. I want to go to college to pursue medicine in hopes of not only helping people medically but helping improve the system. Looking back to when I was first diagnosed I was not even sure if I could make it through a day of school. But with the help of my family, the inspiration from my trip, and the determination to take control of my life, I now not only have a beautiful daily life but plans for a successful future.

I have always been someone who has loved being busy and adventuring. I am not a stay at home person, I love to travel and be with people. This made it so much harder when I was diagnosed with a life-changing disease. At age fourteen I had begun developing strange symptoms I could not quite figure out the reasoning behind. I was constantly thirsty despite constantly having to go to the bathroom. I had passed out twice and began to have headaches quite frequently. It was Easter weekend at my grandpa's house when I passed out for the second time. My family was quite concerned at this point so they took me into the nearest emergency center where they ran a bunch of tests and diagnosed me with Type 1 Diabetes. Hearing this at fourteen years old was very damaging, I was confused because I had always thought of that disease as something that had to do with being overweight and unhealthy and I knew that's what everyone else would think as well when they heard I had diabetes. At the time I was involved in four different sports, soccer, hockey, cross country, and track which only added to my confusion. How could someone young and active have diabetes? Over the next few days, I learned how I would have to change simple things in my life such as eating and exercising. I would have to count the carbs in everything I ate, I would have to check my blood sugar throughout practices, navigate when I would need to eat sugar before them, and sometimes have to sit out on an activity because of it. One of the first days back to school had been very rough, I had needed to spend a majority of my day with the nurse figuring out how to manage my health at school, I had begun to talk to my friends about it, anxious because I did not know what they would think, I had broken the bottle containing my medicine and just found out I needed to sit out of my track practice that day because of my glucose numbers. I remember sitting in the locker room crying while everyone else was out practicing. I thought if one day was this hard how could I get through every other day. But I figured it out, I became determined to live my life as normal as I could. I decided it has already taken my sense of security and some sense of normalcy so I would not allow it to take any more than necessary. I had a trip to Costa Rica with my 8th-grade class planned for a few months away and I was determined to go. It was risky considering I had not even fully adapted to the changes I had to make in my life and I would soon be in a completely different country than my parents. But I was not going to let my disease stop me from experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. So I went and it was an amazing trip. To this day it is the best trip I have taken. I was able to experience so many unbelievable things I could never have imagined. I visited a local elementary school and taught them English and learned Spanish from them, I went white water rafting and zip-lining, I experienced the culture and it was remarkable. They have a motto, Pura Vida. It means pure life. They have such a welcoming, safe, adventurous community that I will forever be grateful I got to experience. This trip changed the way I thought about my new lifestyle. I could let my diagnosis surround me with constant fear and worry, but instead, I would look at my life full of adventure and love and I was in control of whether I missed out on anything. The disease may hold me back but I am the one who decides if it stops me. I have also been able to help others through this same experience. A neighbor of mine was diagnosed two years ago, and at the time I had managed it for 2 years on my own. She came to me scared and confused just like I was. I assured her that as scary as it seems she can overcome it. She can overcome the insecurity of what people think when you tell them you have Type 1 Diabetes. The fear of not knowing what health-related issues diabetes might cause. I comforted her in her fears and helped her with the struggles she was facing. I want to keep being that comfort and assistance in people's lives. The hardships I have faced pushed me towards a passion for helping others. Along with a love for science, these things lead me to the medical field. I want to go to college to pursue medicine in hopes of not only helping people medically but helping improve the system. I have decided to look at the positives I have gained since being diagnosed, I was able to help out a friend in need who was scared and alone, I was able to find a career path that I am passionate about, and I will continue to look at the perspective that opens up opportunities rather than takes them away. Looking back to when I was first diagnosed I was not even sure if I could make it through a day of school. But with the help of my family, the inspiration from my trip, and the determination to take control of my life I now not only have a beautiful daily life but plans for a successful future.

I have always been someone who has loved being busy and adventuring. I am not a stay at home person, I love to travel and be with people. This made it so much harder when I was diagnosed with a life-changing disease. At age fourteen I had begun developing strange symptoms I could not quite figure out the reasoning behind. I was constantly thirsty despite constantly having to go to the bathroom. I had passed out twice and began to have headaches quite frequently. It was Easter weekend at my grandpa's house when I passed out for the second time. My family was quite concerned at this point so they took me into the nearest emergency center where they ran a bunch of tests and diagnosed me with Type 1 Diabetes. Hearing this at fourteen years old was very damaging, I was confused because I had always thought of that disease as something that had to do with being overweight and unhealthy and I knew that's what everyone else would think as well when they heard I had diabetes. At the time I was involved in four different sports, soccer, hockey, cross country, and track which only added to my confusion. How could someone young and active have diabetes? Over the next few days, I learned how I would have to change simple things in my life such as eating and exercising. I would have to count the carbs in everything I ate, I would have to check my blood sugar throughout practices, navigate when I would need to eat sugar before them, and sometimes have to sit out on an activity because of it. One of the first days back to school had been very rough, I had needed to spend a majority of my day with the nurse figuring out how to manage my health at school, I had begun to talk to my friends about it, anxious because I did not know what they would think, I had broken the bottle containing my medicine and just found out I needed to sit out of my track practice that day because of my glucose numbers. I remember sitting in the locker room crying while everyone else was out practicing. I thought if one day was this hard how could I get through every other day. But I figured it out, I became determined to live my life as normal as I could. I decided it has already taken my sense of security and some sense of normalcy so I would not allow it to take any more than necessary. I had a trip to Costa Rica with my 8th-grade class planned for a few months away and I was determined to go. It was risky considering I had not even fully adapted to the changes I had to make in my life and I would soon be in a completely different country than my parents. But I was not going to let my disease stop me from experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. So I went and it was an amazing trip. To this day it is the best trip I have taken. I was able to experience so many unbelievable things I could never have imagined. I visited a local elementary school and taught them English and learned Spanish from them, I went white water rafting and zip-lining, I experienced the culture and it was remarkable. They have a motto, Pura Vida. It means pure life. They have such a welcoming, safe, adventurous community that I will forever be grateful I got to experience. This trip assured me that my life would be full of adventure and love and I was in control of whether I missed out on anything. The disease may hold me back but I am the one who decides if it stops me. I have also been able to help others through this same experience. A neighbor of mine was diagnosed two years ago, and at the time I had managed it for 2 years on my own. She came to me scared and confused just like I was. I assured her that as scary as it seems she can overcome it. She can overcome the insecurity of what people think when you tell them you have Type 1 Diabetes. The fear of not knowing what health-related issues diabetes might cause. I comforted her in her fears and helped her with the struggles she was facing. Being able to do that for her made at least one positive come out of this. I want to keep being that comfort and assistance in people's lives. The hardships I have faced pushed me towards a passion for helping others. Along with a love for science, these things lead me to the medical field. I want to go to college to pursue medicine in hopes of not only helping people medically but helping improve the system. Looking back to when I was first diagnosed I was not even sure if I could make it through a day of school. But with the help of my family, the inspiration from my trip, and the determination to take control of my life I now not only have a beautiful daily life but plans for a successful future.

I grew up with both my parents happily married, an older sister and a younger brother. All of these people have given so much to me and my future and have played a role in who I am today. I look up to every one of them and aspire to be a little more like each one. However, my role model is my sister, Jordyn. Role models can come from anywhere, so many people tell the stories of the interactions they have with someone they've never met before and how that one moment shaped their life forever, or they talk about influences in their life like their grandma who shares her life experience with them. My role model has always been with me. She is not from some unbelievable experience and she does not have years of wisdom to share with me but I believe that makes it more special. She also has so much to learn and seeing her navigate her life inspires me to do the same thing and allows me to learn from her mistakes and follow her in her successes. She is three years older than me, so growing up I have always wanted to do what she was doing, I wanted to be like her and be with her at all times. I watched her graduate from high school and have a plan to go to the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and become an occupational therapist. She was very successful and is now in her fourth year in Lacrosse. She is driven and always strives to be her best for herself and her family. I have taken after her in my schooling, going into my senior year with a 4.0 GPA. She has told me what matters in life, obviously work hard to be successful but to not sacrifice yourself in the process. She has told me to take school seriously and manage my time for seeing my friends and experiencing high school. I watched her go through high school with amazing friends and gain amazing memories and life skills along the way. She has given me so much advice, a lot of it unasked for. I have been extremely annoyed by nagging and lectures, but looking back I am grateful for every one. Even when I didn't agree with something she said she pushed me to always be aware of my decisions and how they would affect me. I have even learned through her mistakes. I watched her go through a very difficult relationship putting her boyfriend at the times needs in front of her own over and over again. She was neglecting her own needs in the relationship to benefit his and in the end, was hurt so much worse. Through her mistakes, I've learned to value my own needs and to know when I need to fight for myself. She is someone I can go to even when I know I am wrong or made a mistake. She is selfless, determined, and passionate and has taught me to value those same attributes in myself. I can thank her for the person I am today and for the person, I want to be in my future. I plan on going to college to prepare myself for my future. Jordyn has always stressed the importance of helping others which is why she wants to go into occupational therapy. She passed this onto me as I also want to go into the medical field. I have always been interested in science and together these things assure me this is what I am supposed to do with my future. There are many flaws within the system and I hope to be apart of the improvements as well as care for others through the general practice of medicine. Most importantly she has always been there for me. I can think back on any moment in my life and she has always been there to support me and I know that will never change. Because of her, I will be driven enough to accomplish any goal I have, compassionate enough to be there for others as she has been for me, and grateful enough to take advantage of every opportunity and every experience I am offered in life.