I was diagnosed with Hashimotos disease, an autoimmune disease that attacks my thyroid, in college. It is likely that my autoimmune disorder triggered an autonomic disorder, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), that I was diagnosed with this year during my PhD studies. While my peers attend parties, I have to sleep. While my peers compete in sports, I spend three days a week in physical therapy. Spring break is spent at specialist clinics, rather than on the beach. While many professors are understanding, I have also encountered those who only accept absences for infectious diseases. To those unfamiliar with autoimmune diseases, they can seem trivial in comparison to Strep throat, even though they can be equally difficult. In order to achieve my academic goals I have learned to plan and structure my time. Maintaining enough time to work and study is as key as scheduling in time to exercise, cook, and stretch in order to reduce symptoms. While I have encountered many kind doctors, others have preconceived ideas on what autoimmune patients can achieve. I remember being dismissed from one clinic when the provider noted that I was working as a research assistant while studying for my masters degree. “You’re not sick enough to be tested,” he said. “Come back when you can’t work.” Having an autoimmune disease does not mean I can’t achieve my dreams. It means I have to persevere to achieve them. The higher barriers I've experienced in pursuing my degrees have confirmed for me that I am truly pursing my dream of becoming an engineer. If my dream was not so important to me, I would not be finishing my final class for my PhD this semester, having achieved a 4.0 GPA for all levels of study. My autoimmune disease has fostered an unparalleled spirit of perseverance. I spent nine months rehabilitating my neck due to premature joint degeneration, becoming one of longest patients to persevere in physical therapy my doctor had ever seen. When I was released, finally at normal mobility and strength, I immediately began on a preventative program for my back. I approach my studies in the same way, striving for the best. Perseverance is not a new quality for me. As a young child I knew engineering was right for me. However, like many girls, by eighth grade, engineering no longer seemed like an option for me. My dream of being an engineer clashed with traditional values and rigid gender roles, particularly in my rural Alabama school. Adults reassured me that I would “grow out of” my interest in STEM. Engineering, I was told, was for boys. After six years of engineering education, I still have never “grown out of” engineering, despite being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. I have focused on STEM outreach, founding a chapter of Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics at my university and volunteering with girls STEM programs. When I tutored, I found my tutoring sessions were predominantly filled with women, nontraditional students, and minorities. One student told me she chose my sessions because she did not feel judged for making mistakes. Like many women, she was afraid her mistakes would prove she did not belong in engineering. Becoming an engineer means showing women and girls like her that we all belong, regardless of gender or autoimmune disease. I look upon my academic journey so far with pride. While to employers and peers I am just a normal student, I know the effort and perseverance required to get to where I am now. I know it will take as much to get where I am going next.