Welcome to JDRF Bay Area’s blog, One on 1, a series of interviews with people who live with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Members of the community will talk about how T1D affects them, how they manage it and how they have conquered it. Today we talk with Kendall Horalek, a rising college senior at Chico State University, where she is majoring in psychology with a minor in communications.

JDRF Bay Area: How old were you when you were diagnosed with T1D? How has your outlook changed over the years?

Kendall: I was diagnosed with T1D when I was 2 1/2 years old. Because having T1D is the only thing I’ve known, I am not only quite used to it by now but have accepted it as just being a part of my life.

JDRF Bay Area: What was it like for you when you first went away to college, managing T1D on your own?

Kendall: When I first went away to college I wasn’t nervous at all. I had been completely taking care of myself independently from my parents since I was around 12 so it wasn’t a big deal to me. The only thing that I needed to learn was how to go out and manage my T1D while drinking alcohol. I quickly discovered that having a substantial meal before AND after drinking alcohol was essential in order for me to not drop low after I went to sleep. Although it’s easy to skip meals at school (especially while on a college budget), I now know that I always need to have something in my system.

JDRF Bay Area: Do you have advice for incoming college students?

Kendall: My only advice for incoming students would be to make sure that your roommates and friends know that you have T1D and that they are able and willing to help you when needed. I can’t tell you how many times my friends were there to help me find juice or get me snacks if I was running low, or even just sitting with me and waiting until my number was back to normal and I was my old self again. You’ll be surprised at how many kids already know the gist of what T1D is and how inquisitive and eager your new friends will be to help.

JDRF Bay Area: What do you want parents to know about T1D and college?

Kendall: My advice to parents with kids leaving for school would be to not only trust them when they say, “I’ve got this,” but also be extremely open and understanding of what your child is about to embark on. The biggest help my parents were to me was that I could call them any day or night if I needed help, but also that I was able to be honest with them about alcohol without being judged. Alcohol is very tricky with T1D, but it’s also a very real part of college life. The fact that I was able to openly discuss this with my parents was a very comforting feeling and a great support system to have.

JDRF Bay Area: You are heading into your senior year. What are you plans after graduation?

Kendall: Although I am so sad that this is my final year, I am also super excited to graduate and get into the working world and start doing what I love. I’ll first move back home with my parents to get on my feet and then hopefully within a year be able to move out and be financially independent from them. My ultimate goal is to get into pharmaceutical sales. This is a good industry for me, largely due to the fact that I’ve been surrounded by medical devices and medicines my whole life and can comfortably explain and hopefully sell these products to doctors.

JDRF Bay Area: What would a cure mean to you?

Kendall: A cure to me means health. Sometimes I feel that my body is aging 10 times faster than it should because it has to work 10 times harder on a daily basis. A cure to me would mean that my body and mind would feel youthful and rested as it should and hopefully will allow me to do all the things I love for many more years to come. Until then, I’ll just keep on keeping on.