As an athlete and a type one diabetic, I have had to overcome many challenges throughout my years in school and volleyball. I have played volleyball for many years and accomplished many goals, but not without setbacks. I have had to overcome low numbers during practices and games, which can make it difficult to continue playing safely. I also had to navigate through school, sports, and clubs while still trying to keep my diabetes consistent and under control. I had to lead my team on the court while also leading my body to a healthy state. Throughout the years, there have been many difficult moments. I have experienced the heartbreak of missing games and training because my numbers were too low. As an athlete who cares deeply about my team, those moments were incredibly frustrating. There were even times when my blood sugar dropped so severely that I experienced seizures. Those situations were scary and challenging, but they also forced me to become stronger and more aware of my body. Living with diabetes means constantly balancing responsibilities that other athletes may not have to think about. Even though I faced these struggles, I never let them define my performance or my attitude. Instead, they pushed me to work harder and become a stronger leader. During my senior year, I was honored to be named captain of my volleyball team and received awards such as All-Conference, All-Tournament, and All-Academic. As a captain, I focused on spreading the love for the sport and showing kindness to my teammates, much like the qualities Carolyn Craddock demonstrated in her life. One way I tried to exemplify kindness and inclusivity was by always looking out for younger players on the team. I made it a priority to advocate for freshmen so they never felt alone or intimidated when joining the program. High school sports can be overwhelming for younger athletes, and I wanted them to feel supported and included from the very beginning. I also encouraged my teammates to work hard not just for the team, but for themselves, because confidence and motivation start from within. Outside of my own season, I also volunteer at volleyball summer camps each year. Helping coach younger athletes allows me to give back to the sport that has given me so much. I enjoy teaching skills, encouraging players, and helping them build confidence both on and off the court. Additionally, I am involved in Legacy Club, which focuses on becoming a better athlete and leader for yourself and your team. Through this program, I have continued to grow as both a teammate and a leader. Living with diabetes teaches you that you must accept and care for yourself every single day. It requires responsibility, resilience, and determination. While I cannot change my diagnosis, I can choose how I respond to it. Instead of letting it limit me, I have learned to work with it, grow from it, and use my experiences to support others. Just like Carolyn, I strive to lead with kindness, determination, and the courage to overcome challenges while uplifting the people around me.

“Kindness in Action” - Mr. Browne, in the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio, says, "When choosing between being right and being kind, choose kind." That quote replays in my head every day. I always try to treat people with kindness and compliment little things just to make people feel better because I believe being kind is one of the easiest and best things you can do to help others. Kindness can be hard to find nowadays, especially from high school seniors who are caught up in their own lives, so I try to implement kindness in as many ways as possible. A specific moment that was important to me was helping an elderly lady. I was walking into Hobby Lobby, and there was an elderly woman who was struggling to push her cart and stay balanced. I immediately went over and offered to help. I asked if I could put her bags in her car and bring her shopping cart back into the store. She stopped and looked completely shocked, but amazed at the same time. Her face showed that she hadn't seen kindness like this in a while. She let me take her cart and repeated that I was very kind for offering. She thanked me and left, still looking amazed and confused. This interaction should have made me feel good, but instead it made me sad because people aren't used to simple, kind gestures like this. These kinds of actions are vital in a world with so much hate. Now every time I go out, I will always offer to help people, and if I can't help, a nice smile and compliment can do just as much. “Creating Connection” - When it comes to my volleyball career, I am a teammate, a friend, a role model, a captain, and most importantly, a leader. I spent years going through each phase of being an athlete. When I got the opportunity to be a leader my senior year, I took it and made the most of it. My morals were spread through the program, and I built a mindset through as many girls as I could. I cared so much for the love of the sport, and the connections and relationships made over anything. I made it known that everyone is supposed to be included and have fun, rather than being compared and anxious. In the summer before my senior season, I was the only senior to attend a two-month-long speed and agility camp with 100% attendance. I also set up open gyms before volleyball tryouts, so the freshmen could get to know people and practice with their future teammates. Other seniors may have said that I was doing too much, and that it didn't matter that much, but I did all those things to set an example for the other players. I showed them to always go the extra mile and not just do the bare minimum. I made a theme for the season: "Fuel your fire," which meant you can't expect to work hard for your team and perform well if you aren't doing it for yourself first. It requires passion and dedication to be a successful athlete. I led with this motto and ended up receiving awards such as team captain, All-tournament, All-conference, and All-Academic. I created a community where all athletes, no matter their age or skill level, were accepted and loved, and I wouldn't change a thing because I know that I was made to be a leader.

I spent years telling myself, I am normal. I am just like everyone else. I repeated it so often that I almost believed it. Growing up with Type 1 diabetes forced me to normalize things no child should have to: counting carbs before eating, carrying medical supplies everywhere, and giving myself more than ten injections a day. Diabetes changed my life in countless ways, but more importantly, it shaped me into the strong, responsible, and resilient person I am today. Since the age of six, diabetes has been a constant presence in my life. It became “normal” to prick my fingers, inject insulin, and keep my phone within reach at all times to monitor my blood sugar. Over the past twelve years, I’ve injected, seized, cried, given up, fought, and repeated the cycle. This is not an average childhood experience, but instead of complaining, I choose to reflect on how this disease has shaped who I am. Diabetes taught me responsibility, resilience, perseverance, and appreciation, lessons that will stay with me forever. Responsibility has been one of the most defining traits diabetes gave me. From a young age, I had to take control of my health, calculating insulin doses nearly every time I ate. That responsibility only grew as I got older. Managing diabetes means constantly thinking ahead: what I’m eating, how active I’ll be, and how my body might respond hours later. For a child, and later a teenager with fluctuating hormones, this was incredibly difficult. But I did it, and I continue to do it every day. Diabetes is a full-time job with no breaks, and learning to manage it helped me grow into someone who can handle responsibility both inside and outside of diabetes. Living with diabetes also required resilience. There have been countless moments when diabetes knocked me down physically, mentally, and emotionally. One of the hardest moments was returning to high school the day after having a seizure in front of multiple classes. Instead of letting embarrassment or fear define me, I showed up the next day as myself. I attended every class, stayed positive, and even volunteered and read at elementary schools. That moment could have held me back, but instead, it fueled me to move forward stronger than before. Perseverance goes hand in hand with resilience. No matter how hard I work to manage my diabetes, there is always room to “do better,” especially during endocrinologist appointments. Hearing that can be discouraging when you’re already giving everything you have. Diabetes taught me how to push through frustration, learn from setbacks, and never give up, even when progress feels invisible. Lastly, diabetes taught me appreciation. Understanding what this disease can do to the body made me deeply grateful for my health and what my body is still capable of. Many people don’t realize how precious a healthy body is until it’s threatened. I am thankful every day that I can live an active life and continue pursuing my goals. As I move into college, these lessons will guide my future. I will use my sense of responsibility to manage my health while balancing classes and daily life. I will face challenges with resilience, persevere through setbacks, and appreciate every opportunity I am given. Diabetes is part of my story, and I carry it with pride; not as a limitation, but as proof of my strength.