![user profile avatar](/_next/static/media/default-profile.039849c4.png)
Koalyen Her
165
Bold Points1x
Finalist![user profile avatar](/_next/static/media/default-profile.039849c4.png)
Koalyen Her
165
Bold Points1x
FinalistEducation
Hustisford High
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Biology, General
Career
Dream career field:
Medical Practice
Dream career goals:
District 27-A2 Lions Diabetes Awareness Scholarship
Diabetes has impacted me by changing my families food choices, the noises in my house, and the dynamics of my family. I am honored to come from a multicultural family in which my mom is white and my dad is Hmong. Growing up, my family often attended Hmong Festivals in which we would eat sugar filled tapioca drinks, dark purple glutinous sticky rice, and fried crispy eggrolls. These foods were a specialty at the festivals, but at home our family table had white steamed rice, fried chicken, and sweet breads. These food choices quickly caught up to my dad and at the age of 42 he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes has impacted the foods my family now has in our home. We no longer have a rice maker sitting on the counter with white steamed rice ready to eat at any time. We no longer have the fried oiled foods that once filled the house with delicious smells. My family now focuses more on dark green vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The nutritional food choices my mom picks for our family meals have greatly improved. This adjustment was hard for me personally as I really enjoy sweets. I now however, see the importance of eating healthy. I realized the importance of these new food choices when I started to hear the beeping noises in my home. My dad wears an arm monitor to monitor his glucose levels. When his glucose levels are high, the monitor starts to beep. It is a none that is alarming. When his glucose levels are low, the monitor gives a different noise tone. This tone too is scary to hear when the monitor goes off. When my dad’s monitor goes off, no matter what I am doing, I can hear those beeps. Diabetes has impacted my everyday life. From boxes of needles on my counter, insulin in my fridge, pill bottles of medication the aspects of my life look different from before my dad’s diagnoses. My life has changed on what I eat, the noises I hear in my house, and the family members present in my life.
In the future, I hope to become a physician assistant. I will take the knowledge I gain from college, my volunteer work, and employment, to better help people and families on diabetes. Being from the Hmong culture, I will understand the cultural sensitivities and will be able to come up with creative healthy ways for families to adjust. Diabetes is part of my life, present and future.