I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 18, three months before starting college. For years, I struggled to find my footing in a new life with T1D until I found the power of community and peer support. I embraced my insecurities and vulnerabilities to accept T1D as my own. Empowered by my diagnosis and motivated to help others like me, I began pouring myself into the diabetes community. I became involved with the DiabetesLink as a NextGen fellow and attended the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions conference virtually in 2021. In 2022, I started my own diabetes research project, surveying young adults on their relationships with their diabetes care provider. I presented my research findings at ADA’s Scientific Sessions in San Diego and the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Conference in the Netherlands in 2023. My research abstract was also published in the ADA Diabetes Journal. Most recently, I started my Master’s in Physician Assistant studies at Stanford School of Medicine where I am currently researching dermatologic reactions to diabetes devices in skin of color. Diabetes has given me meaning and purpose as I continue to advocate for our community and become a physician assistant.