Throughout my life, my family has dealt with several medical issues. Diabetes is just one of the challenges we have faced. My paternal grandfather, maternal great-grandfather, and my father all have Type 2 diabetes, and my uncle has Type 1 diabetes. These diagnoses have resulted in major lifestyle changes and personal growth for the entire family. While I have not been directly affected by diabetes, my experiences with my family members have had a profound effect on me and my future. By and large, the biggest impact diabetes has had on me is making me a more considerate person. Dealing with the exercise and diet recommendations for my family has impacted me substantially. I never realized what people with diabetes fully went through before I watched them turn down delicious treats. Seeing my father refuse to eat a delectably juicy chocolate cake seemed ludicrous to me. The idea of walking away from any available food was not an idea I entertained. After this type of monstrosity occurred several times, my younger self realized that this decision was made with the health of the person in mind. After that epiphany, I was more conscious about what I ate and how I exercised. I tried my best to not eat desserts in front of people unable to eat them and make sure that healthy food was always available at family functions. On top of that, I tried to include everyone on my daily walks to motivate them to increase their exercise. This lesson in how to be a better person has followed me as I’ve grown up. In middle and high school, I met more people with diabetes and other disorders that impact lifestyle. With my knowledge, I was better able to interact with them and not make their condition a big deal. Through my experiences with my family members with diabetes, I have grown and become a more considerate person. Diabetes will continue to impact me the rest of my life even if I never become diabetic. Knowing that I am at higher risk for diabetes due to my heritage, I will have to be extra conscious of my health for my entire life. My father was able to control his diabetes through dieting and exercise, and I know from observing his journey that I can do this too. Keeping a healthy diet and exercising regularly is a must for my future. In addition to being conscious, my future career is also highly influenced by diabetes. I will be pursuing pharmacy in college. Part of my decision to pursue pharmacy was the many medical conditions in my family. Being exposed to insulin and the medication prescription process introduced me to the pharmaceutical field. In high school, when I decided that chemistry, biology, and statistics were my favorite subjects, pharmacy made perfect sense. Due to my experience with diabetes, my future career and entire lifestyle will be altered. My decision to participate in the pharmaceutical field was inspired by diabetes and other medical conditions. While diabetes has been a part of my life for several years, it will continue to impact me for the next several decades. Overall, diabetes has played a large role in my life through its impact on my family. It has already made me a more considerate person and taught me how to interact with others. In the future, it will impact how conscious I am of my health and influence my career path. While diabetes is not something I would wish on anyone, I am thankful for its effects on my life.