Age: 17
Age at Diagnosis: 11

You’d probably have a hard time finding another teenager who understands herself as well as Layla does. Her burning desire to express her personal thoughts, ideas, and world views manifested through her Congressional Debate career. Layla’s ability to connect real-world topics quickly helped her thrive in debate and led her to place 16th in the nation at last year’s National Speech and Debate Championship and qualify to compete in this year’s prestigious Tournament of Champions.

Layla and her family are also committed to serving the T1D community. Layla is a JDRF Youth Ambassador, babysits children with T1D, and sets aside time to get to know and support families impacted by a recent T1D diagnosis. “Helping a kid who has just been diagnosed with T1D feel a little less confused and alone is one of our families’ primary goals, and our involvement with JDRF helps us to achieve that.”