Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 6

Annelies may only be in high school, but she’s already taking college classes. As a member of the Upward Bound program, she started taking college courses when she was only fourteen. Since her diagnosis in 2008, Annelies has taken control of her T1D and gotten involved with JDRF in her community through the JDRF One Walk and Gala. She hopes to be a physician when she is older, and she’s already getting firsthand experience about the medical profession as a member of Medical Explorers, a branch of the Boy Scouts of America. Annelies is ready for the opportunity to be an advocate for everyone with T1D. She says, “I want to spread awareness and information about diabetes and get one step closer to a cure.”