Scholarship Category

The Elizabeth Auger Annual Scholarship for Students with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes was created to honor the efforts of diabetes patients and assist diabetic students with achieving their dreams.

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how the body converts food to energy. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes, require patients to manage their care while also powering through life’s ups and downs to achieve their dreams.

This year’s scholarship winner, Sophia Salyers, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a baby and has never known life without managing her condition. However, Ms. Salyers has learned to see her condition as a strength, an opportunity to educate others about diabetes, and serve as a role model for overcoming challenges and having faith in times of difficulty. Ms. Salyers is a role model for everyone and hopes to impart the wisdom she has garnered at such a young age to others as a professor of psychology. 

Advocacy Through Education

Ms. Salyers is currently a junior at the University of Kentucky where she is majoring in Psychology with a Social Science Research Certificate. After graduation, Sophia hopes to return to the University of Kentucky to pursue graduate studies in Psychology and Law or pursue forensic psychology. She has always been enthusiastic about education, but psychology has captured her curiosity. She says, “I love learning how people think and interpret the world around them. Psychology has an impact on our daily lives. We all have different experiences that challenge us, motivate us, and make us who we are.” Through teaching and research, she hopes to reach as many students as possible. 

Ms. Salyers has been passionate about learning and education throughout her life. School was often her method of escape during “bad diabetes days.” But in addition to the joy she finds in reading and learning, Sophia has chosen a career in education because she wants to help young people who struggle with many different types of invisible challenges–chronic medical conditions being only one besides poverty and food insecurity, mental health challenges, or any other circumstance that serves as an obstacle. During her senior year of high school, Ms. Salyers worked in the classroom with students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Humbled by the experience, Ms. Salyers explains, “[These] students truly had more struggles in their lives outside of school than anyone I’ve ever met. My small problems of a faulty pancreas seemed much smaller, but it took hearing my story for them to realize that even people that seem to have perfect lives often invisibly do not.”

A large part of this effort centers on being aware that you might not know what a person is going through and it is only through opening yourself up to learning through empathy that true change can occur. One of Sophia’s greatest strengths is humbly and gracefully advocating for others through example. She recalls having to educate her own teachers on why it was important to leave class for a snack or why she didn’t feel like playing. Speaking up is a remarkable act of courage, especially when it is a child expressing themselves to an adult authority figure.

The Importance of Knowing Who You Are

Sophia encourages students everywhere, particularly those who are struggling with a chronic or invisible illness, to know that they are not alone. She says, “there will be bad days but finding your support system and outlet for stress will be the keys. God has a plan for all of us. Use those bad days to mold you and your values.” 

The inspiration for this positive outlook came to Sophia from her grandfather. Though he passed away in 2014, she remembers sitting underneath the Kentucky pine trees with him on “bad diabetes days,” where he made her smile and taught her to know her values and hold true to them. 

Ms. Salyers plans to apply to the University of Kentucky graduate program in Psychology and Law. She has always called Lexington home and hopes to continue giving back to her community. Ultimately, she hopes to become a professor at the University of Kentucky and support the department she has called home for many years. 

 

For individuals with chronic conditions, being the best version of yourself means not hiding your diagnosis as part of your identity. At the same time, these individuals don’t want their diagnosis to become their entire identity. It becomes a tightrope of acknowledging your medical needs while balancing those needs with the goals and expectations you have set for yourself.

Our most recent winner of the Elizabeth Auger Annual Scholarship for Students with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, Abreanna Shea, is a master of balance. She was able to find her community early in her childhood by attending a summer camp made especially for children with type one diabetes. At the same time, she has managed her own care alongside the support of her doctors and the local community in order to let nothing hold her back from her goals.

Currently, Shea is pursuing a nursing degree with a focus on pediatric care. Her hope is to experience a well-rounded career in medicine that allows her to provide care for not just young patients but also adults and the elderly. Through her work, her intention is to help children, as well as adults, learn how to manage their own care so that nothing can stand in the way of their dreams.

Summer Experiences Set the Groundwork for a Life Dedicated to Caring for Others

Many individuals who experience challenges related to healthcare highlight individuals in their life who helped them feel seen — and empowered. While Shea certainly acknowledges the hard work and sacrifices of her mother, who raised five kids largely on her own, Shea’s most important inspiration is not a person, but rather a place.

Her summers spent at a camp for children with type 1 diabetes became a formative experience that has shaped her outlook and her energy.

“I started to go to one when I was 12 years old and I have found lifelong friends from that. Once we became too old to be campers we became counselors,” Shea told us. “Honestly, once I am too old to be a counselor I want to make a comeback as a nurse!”

After fun experiences spent alongside people who understood her in a way different from other peers, Shea was hooked. She attended the same camp every summer, building friendships that she carried with her for decades.

To other children facing challenges related to their type 1 or type 2 diabetes, she recommends: “Don’t hide your diabetes! It’s a big part of your life no matter how you feel about it. Let everyone know it too! There’s truly no reason to hide it, and educating those around you only creates a safer environment for you.”

Also, of course, she advocates finding a diabetes camp in their area. 

“Seriously though, this camp is something that completely changed my life. I became so much more comfortable with my diabetes, I improved my care at home, I became motivated to get more involved in the diabetes community, and I made amazing friends.”

Becoming Comfortable With Yourself, And Advocating for Your Own Needs

One trait that stands out about Shea is that she presents herself as the primary person responsible for her own care. Whether in class or at home, it’s all about monitoring and managing blood glucose and other key vital signs.

When attending school remotely over the past year, she indicated the biggest difference was that she no longer had to explain to professors why she needed certain minor accommodations.

“Pros were that I could sleep a little more and wear pajamas to class,” recounted Shea in an experience many of us no doubt shared, “but relating to my diabetes care it allowed me to keep supplies on hand at all times. I didn’t have to worry so much about going out of my way to talk to professors and explain why I need to keep certain supplies out.”

Also, like many of us over the past year, being home most of the time and experiencing boredom lent itself to more snacking. As a result, Shea tasked herself with monitoring her glucose more carefully and calibrating insulin dosing to keep everything on track.

While she seems to have self-care down to a science, Shea acknowledges the importance of getting the support of health care professionals and others in your community. Communication and understanding are critical, she emphasizes so that a lack of education on the part of others doesn’t become a barrier to the care you need.

For other students with diabetes, she suggests “first getting registered or enrolled in your school’s disability services. There’s a lot they can do to help you out such as provide secluded testing environments to be able to use supplies as needed, extended test times to fix your blood sugar, make sure your medical tardies and absences are excused, and ensure your professors allow you to use supplies when needed.”

She also recommends staying in regular contact with your endocrinologist or primary care physician. School has a way of presenting new situations, which can have a habit of making other life challenges become healthcare challenges if left unchecked. She provides the example of how her own stress levels during the first days of school caused her blood glucose to increase unexpectedly, but coordinating care with her endocrinologist helped her keep everything manageable.

Grow Understanding of Yourself and Others to Excel

When asked about any struggles she experienced as a young child with diabetes, Shea told us: “Having type one diabetes has definitely challenged me in many ways, but never in a way that has stopped me from achieving anything.”

Her biggest barriers, it seems, came from the teachers, coaches, and others who didn’t provide her the space and support she needed to manage her condition properly. In worst-case scenarios, though, she just spent more time on the bench cheering on her teammates.

All of these experiences seem to reflect the philosophy Shea presented to us in her submitted essay’s opening line: “Being type one diabetic has been one of the biggest parts of my life. In a way, it has shaped who I am and who I want to become, but it certainly has not defined me. However, it has influenced me and my career goals.”

Those career goals include obtaining her registered nurse certification and serving in pediatrics before potentially moving on to adult and geriatric care. Shea is also considering becoming a travel nurse, which would no doubt open her up to even more experiences than before. One thing she wants to change about the healthcare industry, she says, is that she wants providers to have more empathy, awareness, and understanding. What you learn in a textbook is different from what people need to improve their lives and achieve positive outcomes.

Throughout her pursuits, Shea remembers to keep a healthy focus on herself and those she cares about most. Because while the support that tends to feel the most valuable often comes from others, it’s the support we provide for ourselves that truly gives us the strength to accomplish great things.

Enrolling in a higher education program involves enough work to be its own full-time job, but when you must manage a chronic condition on top of that, it becomes a major life challenge. Recognizing the uphill battle many individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes must face, Elizabeth Auger, DPM, has developed an annual scholarship program to provide financial assistance to those in need.

Our program aims to reward those whose passion, motivation, and heartfelt sincerity comes through in their feelings towards higher education. We have absolutely found such a candidate in this year’s scholarship winner, Ilana Lewis. 

Lewis has enrolled in the Tuoro College of Nursing with the intent to become a nurse in the field of endocrinology. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young teenager, and the night she learned of her chronic condition threatened to be a traumatic experience. But, instead, Lewis was encouraged and supported by her empathetic nursing team, and their encouragement and compassion inspired her to seek a career in nursing of her own.

We are honored to be able to help Ms. Lewis on her career path, and we hope she is able to support and inspire others with a chronic diagnosis to, “have a GREAT life,” as she once was during a fateful trip to the emergency room.

 

Discovering a Chronic Condition — And a Passion for Nursing — In the Same Night

Ms. Lewis discovered that she had Type 1 diabetes like many people do: after struggling with symptoms, she was admitted to the emergency room for treatment and diagnosis. Like any of us would be, especially at a young age, she was terrified.

Evidently, the nurses caring for her could read the fear on her face. Their kind words and support and encouragement allowed Ms. Lewis to overcome her fear of what the diagnosis might mean.

“That night in the hospital changed everything for me,” Lewis wrote in her application essay. “In between administering my medications and checking my blood glucose levels, my nurses would frequently ask how I was feeling. They took the time to answer my questions and empower me with the tools I needed to manage my diabetes on my own.”

The attention and compassion for her nursing team have had a profound effect on Ilana’s outlook. 

“Not only were they there to guide my medical improvement, but they supported me psychologically and empathetically as well,” she wrote.

“I vividly remember one of my nurses coming over to me, obviously aware of how apprehensive I was. She gently approached me, looked me straight in the eye, and told me, ‘Honey, you’re going to have a GREAT life!'”.

That moment was a turning point for her, and since then she has had a deep passion for finding a way to make an impact on others as that nurse had for her.

Reaching for the Stars to Become a Guiding Light for Others

When she completes her program, Ms. Lewis will have a unique perspective on the ideal way to provide care. This perspective comes not just from her diagnosis but also from her experience with nurses throughout many aspects of patient care.

“Nurses are active in all aspects of healthcare,” she observes, “where they make a tremendous impact helping patients not only survive but thrive.”

When asked about her experience with Type 1 diabetes and a passion for nursing, Ms. Lewis told us that both have left an indelible mark on how she intends to fulfill her career goals.

“I have always wanted to work in an area that directly helps others. I am very outgoing and friendly, so I feel lucky that I can combine my passion for healthcare and personal health journey into a fantastic career!”

As for how her personal perspective might impact her work, Ms. Lewis told us, “I definitely feel that my Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis will help me provide better care to patients with chronic illnesses. Dealing with a diabetes diagnosis and a chronic illness has given me a very different perspective than most.”

She hopes that the shining example left on her from that initial experience — and all her follow-up experience — can allow her to help guide her care decisions, especially when it comes to patient interactions.

“I can very much empathize with patients in general and can offer solidarity and experience. I hope I can also be a role model for young patients by letting them see that an illness does not define you and shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your dreams.”

When asked what suggestions she would give to a young person in a similar position, she advised, “reach for the stars. You can do anything you set your mind to! 

“Having a diabetes diagnosis does not define you or limit you in any way. In fact, it makes you a more resilient, strong, responsible, and mature person. Use these qualities to go after your dreams!”

Providing Support for Others in the Diabetes Community

Ms. Lewis has realized that she does not have to wait until she has obtained a nursing certification to begin having a positive impact on the lives of others with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. For the past four years, she has served as a diabetes mentor. She has also coordinated the assembly and distribution of diabetes “swag bags” that were given to hospital inpatients newly diagnosed with diabetes.

Of course, if you cannot manage your own well-being then it can be difficult to care for others. Because of this, self-care is an important part of Lewis’s routine.

“I like to spice things up and keep my life exciting by treating myself to cute diabetes bags every once in a while,” she told us. “I also make sure to schedule ‘me time’ to relax and recharge during busy weeks.”

And, when life gets her down, she says, “I try my best to exercise (run) and eat healthy foods when I am stressed out. This benefits my physical and emotional health.”

By helping support herself as she supports others, Ms. Lewis has set a firm foundation for not just being an excellent nurse but having an outsized positive impact on her community.

“By maximizing health, function, and recovery, I hope to empower my future patients by telling them that that they too will have a ‘GREAT life!'”

Making Sure Others Can Have a Great Life After a Diabetes Diagnosis

We are inspired by Ilana Lewis, not just because of her perseverance but her motivation to show others the same kindness she was once shown. We will remember your story and will use it to think about moments of kindness others have shown us and let that encourage us to have the same positive impact on someone else.

Thank you for submitting to the scholarship, and we hope our gift is able to have a positive effect that helps propel your academic — and future career — success.