Adriana believes in the power of community. She discovered JDRF in 2017 and immediately felt “loved, seen, and heard.” Adriana was a JDRF Children’s Congress Delegate in 2019 and the experience was transformative. “It was the opportunity I needed to realize we all have stories to tell, and we should tell them.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Adriana and two of her fellow Delegates, Sophie Rinzler and Natalie Brogan, started a virtual community for kids with T1D called T1D To The Third to keep the younger T1D community connected. “We aim to create a safe place for kids and teens living with T1D to come together and have fun!”

Adriana is currently in her senior year of college for Elementary and Special Education and plans on being a school counselor after graduation. She is thrilled to be a member of JDRF’s Advocates in Action Council to continue to advocate for those who can’t.

One thing remains certain for Adriana: She’ll always stay connected to her type 1 diabetes support system.  “I continue to be the happiest and healthiest 20-year-old I can be because of my T1D community!”