In high school, my understanding of even the simplest things changed. Growing up, I understood that certain things happened but never understood why or how. What I learned in my high school science classes made me feel like I could understand anything in the world if I studied hard enough. Even simple things, like getting taller or why metal rusts were more complicated than I thought, and I learned what was happening at a molecular level. I didn’t know that cell division had four stages for one process or why reactions happen in solutions even when no visible change is observed. I felt as though sickness or disease could be cured if we could study at a small enough scale and reveal what didn’t function properly. I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 12 years now and some of the technology that I use today was only a dream when I was first diagnosed. I’ve seen how even small improvements in therapies make my life better everyday. I would like to focus my education on something that can benefit others who have conditions that impact their life or health. I’m pursuing a career in life sciences and engineering so nobody will need to go through the challenges that I faced when I was diagnosed. When I got my first continuous glucose monitor (CGM), the device was a game changer. It was big, sometimes painful to apply, and relatively inaccurate, but it changed my life in ways that I never would have imagined. The daily guessing game of blood glucose disappeared almost overnight and the system helped me recognize my low and high blood sugars on my own. These types of medical and technological advancements have encouraged me to use my skills in the STEM field to help people suffering from chronic health conditions. Of course, having T1D still sucks and can sometimes be challenging. But I know that all the effort I will put into finding a cure will be well worth it. I’ve spent most of my 12 years with T1D increasing awareness and funding for T1D research. I’ve met with my congressional House of Representatives and Senate staff members multiple times and have been a delegate for Breakthrough T1D’s (formerly JDRF) Children’s Congress twice to advocate for federal funding for T1D research. I’ve volunteered at different Breakthrough T1D events and even dressed up as Rufus the Bear (Breakthrough’s mascot) to help newly diagnosed kids. I’ve also captained my T1D walk team, Evan’s Evangers, and have raised over $400,000 for diabetes research. With unimaginable advancements being made in research fields, I believe that a cure for diabetes is not a question of “if” but “when.” When I encounter setbacks or get discouraged, I think about how close we are to a cure and it helps me keep pushing forward. One discovery I would make for the diabetes community would be a way to detect active insulin in people’s bodies. In current closed loop pump systems, the amount of “active insulin” is just a calculation of how much was dosed but sometimes that insulin is never actually delivered due to a faulty cannula or other delivery mechanism. If we had an “insulin detection monitor” (IDM), the pump would be even more accurate and effective. This advancement would also help detect if pump systems are failing/not working. Accurate detection of active insulin wouldn’t be perfect, but would solve a problem that diabetics have to endure every day. Even small, simple advancements can make a big difference in our daily lives.