The signs were vague at first. I needed breaks on the stairs to my dorm room, and found myself shivering in hot summer weather. It wasn’t until after graduating from college, when I was having trouble completing the short walk in the commute to my job, that I finally saw a doctor. Two weeks later, sitting on the roof of the Casper office in New York City, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In short order, doctors also found I had undifferentiated connective tissue disorder (an autoimmune disease which attacks the joints and cartilage), a rare thyroid conversion disorder, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. As I navigated surgery and beginning immunosuppression, I clung to the normalcy of my first job. But when Monday morning came around and coworkers asked about my weekend, I never knew what to say. Instead of weekend-trips and karaoke, I had spent my weekend resting and trying to find relief from pain. When a life-threatening infection set in rapidly from a scratch on my leg as a result of my weakened immune system, I notified my boss and went to the emergency room. When I returned the next day, I was told my absences for doctors appointments made poor optics and were bad for the team’s morale. Shortly thereafter, I was let go from my job. At my next job, I began to meet other young people with disabilities. I found myself learning the rich stories of fellow young women who were faced with the same challenges in the workplace I had at my first job; from cognitive differences like autism to mobility-limiting nerve disease. Hesitantly at first, I found myself the leader of a small working group who shared resources for navigating our rights and careers. Eventually, the group grew to over thirty members, and I grew in my boldness and confidence as a leader. Together, we created resources on requesting accommodation, navigating complicated healthcare policies, and communicating effectively with our managers. We also provided each other with crucial emotional support and a space where we could exist authentically. At Amazon, I have continued this work through mentoring students with disabilities. My most recent mentee was a woman in her early twenties who suffered a health crisis affecting her mobility, forcing her to pivot from her planned career in nursing. She was considering moving into software engineering, but worried that while physically manageable, the stressful environment would worsen her health issues. I shared the strategies that have allowed me to thrive in a high-intensity career even with chronic illness, and affirmed her excitement about a career in tech. As I move on to pursue my MBA at Harvard Business School this fall, I am eager to share my experience with my classmates, many of whom will be future managers and decision-makers at important corporations. I plan to join the newly formed student group for people with disabilities to help improve program accessibility and inclusivity throughout the admissions process and student experience on campus. Through this, I hope to educate and inspire my classmates to be inclusive leaders themselves, as I myself continue to learn through the diversity of my class.