The transition to college is a time of mixed excitement and anxiety for teens and parents alike. Add type 1 diabetes (T1D) into the picture and there are additional factors that come into play.

We asked Jacqui, a graduate from the University of Delaware, and Hannah, a current student at The College of New Jersey, to reflect on their own college experiences.

Jacqui was diagnosed with T1D at 17 with a blood glucose reading at 2,100 mg/DL while on a family vacation. With just one year experience of managing T1D, she moved out of state to attend college. Jacqui recognizes the impact that Shylah, her greatest supporter while in college, had on her life:

At 18 years old and with one year of being diagnosed with T1D, I was entering the next chapter in my life — moving away to college. I was not only excited to be living at the University of Delaware, but also very nervous. I realized that I had to mature quickly and take sole responsibility of handling my diagnosis, in the midst of adjusting to a new environment. In the first few weeks of living on campus, I met my best friend Shylah who was able to connect with me and my experience with T1D. She understood the importance of maintaining a healthy balance with food and exercise, a goal that I struggled with during college. We lived together most of our college careers, and she could detect when I needed to readjust my medication or pushed me to seek out health services. Shylah was my motivator and teacher to help me see the difference it made to remain calm during any rough health related situation rather than overreact. She even introduced me to yoga, a practice that I still use today to relieve my stress.

Because of her, I was able to live out my college years with more ease and felt more liberated knowing that I had a huge supporter cheering me on to pursue my hopes and dreams while overcoming my fear of being limited by T1D. I truly would not be where I am today if it were not for her love and encouragement for me to live fearlessly.

Not sure if you’ll find your own Shylah on campus? The College Diabetes Network (CDN) is a way to connect with other students living with T1D. CDN was created by Christina Roth when she was a student at the University of Massachusetts.

Hannah is the president and founder of the CDN at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). She shared:

Going off to college, I was ready to tackle T1D on my own, but CDN gave me a network that was there for me when I needed it most. Through CDN, I have gained the connections and resources that allow me to succeed in college. The advocacy initiatives, educational resources available, information, and nationwide and campus-wide connections have been, and continue to prove themselves, invaluable. By offering material on every topic imaginable, fostering advocacy efforts, helping students find job and career opportunities, and more, CDN gives students all that they need to thrive in college.

CDN has given me connections and support in so many ways that I am forever grateful for. Whether it is an extra battery when my pump died at 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday night, and I had no idea that my new pump took AA instead of AAA batteries, having a friend to text to complain about crazy blood sugars during an exam, someone to figure out mysterious dining hall food carbohydrates with, or just a friend to say hi to on the way to class, I know that the friends that I have made through CDN truly understand and relate to the chaos of living in college with diabetes, and that our supporters without diabetes are always there for us as well.

I cannot imagine my college experience without The College Diabetes Network and the people that I have met through my chapter. They truly are my biggest supporters. I hope that every college student with diabetes has a CDN chapter available to them so that they can benefit as much as I have from this amazing network.

Congratulations to the recent college graduates and our best wishes on your next adventures!