Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 9

Ella plays goalie on her school’s varsity lacrosse team, and is already receiving interest from college coaches. Off of the field, Ella is known as an “unofficial” spokesperson for the T1D community, and has made it a priority to raise awareness about the disease, and make sure that people have the correct information about what it means to live as a person with T1D. Ella has helped raise awareness about T1D by speaking to her peers, participating in JDRF One Walk and Gala events and hosting a fundraiser with her family. She looks forward to bringing her passion for advocacy to Washington, D.C., saying, “I am a strong T1D advocate and am dedicated to making sure my experiences with people who aren’t familiar with T1D don’t happen to anyone else.”