This is RESILIENCE!- Refusing to let anything hold me back from the things I want to achieve, especially my chronic condition, lupus!!! For me, that is resilience, and it shows up in everyday decisions to keep going, to show up, and to live my life fully without letting lupus become the center of it. I was diagnosed with lupus about 10 years ago, I was 8 years old. Those early years were some of the hardest moments of my life. I faced severe symptoms, intense pain, pneumonia, and even blood clots in my lungs, including one that was dangerously close to where the heart and lung connect. I was at my lowest point, both physically and emotionally. But now, after having passed those excruciating times and the moments when worry made me feel frigid, the thought was never that I could not live my life. Instead, they became a reminder that if I had already gone through all of that, then I could keep going. That mindset has been carried into school and now into college. Having lupus never became a reason for me to step away from my education. I did not think that I should avoid college just because I would have appointments and medications to manage. Instead, I learned how to balance it. In high school, I attended my doctor visits, communicated with teachers, and caught up on assignments. I practiced managing my health without letting it take over my goals. By the time I entered college, I had already built the habits that help me stay resilient today. I manage my own medications, keep track of refills, and plan my appointments around my classes. I stay on top of my health, not so it limits me, but so I can live freely. I also take care of my physical well-being through swimming and working out, which have both helped me physically and mentally. Even something as simple as applying sunscreen is not an obstacle. It is simply another responsibility I handle so I can continue living normally. As a college student with a chronic condition, living with resilience means not letting lupus be the reason I miss out on opportunities or experiences. There is much more to me than a diagnosis, and there is so much in life I still want to experience and accomplish. My story is not about being held back. My story is about continuing forward. Resilience, to me, is the mindset, and the demonstration, that even with challenges, a person can keep going.