Since I was a baby, I have lived my life with a very long list of life-threatening food allergies. Growing up with food allergies has had its challenges, especially when it always made me feel different and sometimes left out from my classmates. I was put at a different lunch table and I always had to bring my own cupcake to birthday parties when I was little. I would be teased and talked about because I was not eating what everyone else was. I felt like I could not relate to anyone and I was alone. However, food allergies have become very common over the years, in fact thirty-two million people in the United States have food allergies. Even though I did not know another person who lived a life similar to mine, I knew that I am not the only person feeling that way. In 2020, I decided to create an Instagram page, inspired by my food allergies. The page is for people with food allergies to be able to relate and feel like they are not alone. I post about experiences that I have had, allergy friendly recipes, and tips for people with food allergies. Creating that page has been one of the most helpful things I have ever done for others and even myself. I finally felt like other people could relate to me, while I could help others too! The page quickly grew and I have been able to help parents with young kids with food allergies, kids my own age, and even adults with allergies. I have had phone conversations and Zoom calls with parents of a child or children with food allergies. Talking with them about how I have been able to manage, attend birthday parties, and feel as “normal” as any other kid. When parents share with me how relieved they feel once they have talked to me about my journey with food allergies, it makes me want to continue to reach more people who live their lives with food allergies. Knowing that I have inspired parents and kids my own age to change their mindsets away from a negative space, to a positive light on how to thrive while living with food allergies is a very fulfilling feeling. I was featured on a podcast for people with allergies to talk about handling food allergies at school and with friends. I have worked with people who have started up online grocery stores, specifically carrying foods free from the top twelve food allergens. Along with, the opportunity to be an ambassador for an app dedicated for food allergy safety. Over the last few years, I consider myself a mentor to individuals looking for guidance and information, while leading people into a different, more positive mentality with living their lives with food allergies. Since creating my Instagram page, my determination to help others with food allergies has grown. I know that I want to major in entrepreneurship in college and would love to start my own company that caters to people with food allergies. I competed in DECA all throughout high school and in 2022 I was an international finalist. My business plan for an app for caretakers of kids with food allergies placed me top 20 in the world. I strive to help ease the stress of food allergies for future generations with my potential business plans.

Since I was a baby, I have lived my life with a very long list of life-threatening food allergies. Growing up with food allergies has had its challenges, especially when it always made me feel different and sometimes left out from my classmates. I was put at a different lunch table and I always had to bring my own cupcake to birthday parties when I was little. I would be teased and talked about because I was not eating what everyone else was. I felt like I could not relate to anyone and I was alone. However, food allergies have become very common over the years, in fact thirty-two million people in the United States have food allergies. Even though I did not know another person who lived a life similar to mine, I knew that I am not the only person feeling that way. In 2020, I decided to create an Instagram page, inspired by my food allergies. The page is for people with food allergies to be able to relate and feel like they are not alone. I post about experiences that I have had, allergy friendly recipes, and tips for people with food allergies. Creating that page has been one of the most helpful things I have ever done for others and even myself. I finally felt like other people could relate to me, while I could help others too! The page quickly grew and I have been able to help parents with young kids with food allergies, kids my own age, and even adults with allergies. I have had phone conversations and Zoom calls with parents of a child or children with food allergies. Talking with them about how I have been able to manage, attend birthday parties, and feel as “normal” as any other kid. When parents share with me how relieved they feel once they have talked to me about my journey with food allergies, it makes me want to continue to reach more people who live their lives with food allergies. Knowing that I have inspired parents and kids my own age to change their mindsets away from a negative space, to a positive light on how to thrive while living with food allergies is a very fulfilling feeling. I was featured on a podcast for people with allergies to talk about handling food allergies at school and with friends. I have worked with people who have started up online grocery stores, specifically carrying foods free from the top twelve food allergens. Along with, the opportunity to be an ambassador for an app dedicated for food allergy safety. Over the last few years, I consider myself a mentor to individuals looking for guidance and information, while leading people into a different, more positive mentality with living their lives with food allergies. These experiences have allowed me to share both of my positive and sometimes negative experiences that have allowed me to grow as an individual.

Growing up with a long list of severe food allergies, my relationship with food has always been quite different from the person sitting next to me at the lunch table. I have never been able to have a lunch box filled with packaged snacks and Lunchables. At lunch, in elementary school, I always felt like the odd one out with my vegetables, fruit, and gluten free wrap at lunch. For the longest time, I always thought my food allergies were a curse, until I realized that they allowed me to eat a variety of superfoods and make fun meals out of them. I learned to cook and make my own meals at a young age because I always have to bring my own safe food to the places I go. Today, there are many more companies that make allergy-friendly foods, but when I was little there were slim pickings. Most of my meals had to be freshly made from home, and the majority of them are still today. I love eating fresh meals that make me feel fueled throughout my day. I am careful about the foods I put in my body for multiple reasons. Of course, one being because of my food allergies, but another one being that this is the only body I have for the rest of my life. I strive to be healthy now and in my old age, so I must start now to maintain a healthy body. I am a competitive swimmer, so I train a lot and I eat a lot. I burn so many calories during practices and meets, so I need to fuel my body to recover properly. Some of my favorite foods to eat after a morning swim practice are bananas, apples with sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seeds, and rice cakes with sunflower seed butter. I find that these foods will give me the energy that my body needs after a morning swim. Dinner is by far my favorite meal of the day, and after a long practice or meet, I find myself even more excited for dinner. Within the last two years, my favorite meal has been a vegetable mix in a skillet containing broccoli, riced cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and black beans. It is delicious and easy to make! Alongside the veggie mix, I will make a pork chop for extra protein. I also find that starting my day off with the right foods puts me in a better mood to start my day. Lately, my favorite breakfast has been quinoa with blueberries, sunflower seed butter, and a little bit of maple syrup. It is super filling and, of course, delicious! I am very thankful for my mom, who always packed my lunch when I was little, because she taught me that my food allergies did not have to hold me back from enjoying yummy foods. My mom and my food allergies led me to a super food packed diet that I never want to change. I find joy in preparing foods that make me feel good after I eat them.