I remember the overnight nurse vividly. It was almost 11 o'clock, and I tried not to cry as she asked about my newfound diagnosis. Type 1 diabetes stung the back of my throat as I tried holding down my tears. She made all the difference in the world to me. I was scared and felt so alone, but she made me feel better. She didn't have diabetes but had a close friend who did, and we bonded over that. I will never forget her. I plan on being a nurse just like the one I had that night. I want to help others like me navigate diabetes, break down the stigma, and prove that no diagnosis can define who we are. Getting diagnosed with diabetes can be heartbreaking. Not only do we grieve the past life we no longer can live, but feel so powerless in trying to face this autoimmune disorder. I want to be a nurse who can extend my empathy to anyone diagnosed with any type of diabetes. I know how intimidating all of the information can be all at once—counting carbs? Sliding scales? Bolus? A whole new vocabulary patients have to learn. I want to sit there and help them slowly digest all the information. With all the time in the world, I will make sure they understand everything clearly. I want to tell them that we can be in the medical field. While I was in the hospital, there was not one person there who had diabetes. I had horror stories told to me while in the emergency room and shaming comments made by the nurse trying to make a remarkably tone-deaf joke. I will go out of my way to make sure every one of my patients knows that we can do anything we put our minds to. No one can tell us who we can and can't be because of our diagnosis. Adversity only makes us stronger. I want to be living proof to my patients that I did what I wanted without diabetes holding me back, so they can as well. Breaking stigmas and stereotypes, I will show them diabetes isn't a matter of "poor health" yet proof of resilience and strength. My goal is to be a diabetic nurse who helps a frightened teenage girl learn what it means to be courageous, and unbreakable. Numbers don't define who we are and shots don't change our ever-growing personalities.