Students with type 1 Diabetes get a boost from Lilly Diabetes to attend college
Posted: 11 February 2015 |
College freshmen face tremendous pressure, often trying to adjust to tough academic standards while living away from home for the first time…
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- Does #T1D put college out of reach? @LillyDiabetes & @DiabetesScholars don’t think so. Scholarship program now open
College freshmen face tremendous pressure, often trying to adjust to tough academic standards while living away from home for the first time. The stress of freshman year can be multiplied when the student is managing a chronic disease such as type 1 diabetes.
To help ease the burden, Lilly Diabetes today announced the fulfillment of its two-year, $200,000 commitment pledged in early 2014 to the Diabetes Scholars Foundation (Foundation) to fund the Lilly Diabetes Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship. The award recognizes students who are actively involved in the diabetes community, have high academic performance, participate in community and/or extracurricular activities, and demonstrate they are successfully managing the challenges of living with diabetes.
“The Diabetes Scholars Foundation believes in empowering people living with type 1 diabetes through education. It is so rewarding to see these college students achieve their dreams,” said Mary Podjasek, president, Diabetes Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to have the support of Lilly Diabetes. They are changing the lives of these young adults by helping them fulfill their dreams.”
Since 2012, Lilly Diabetes has funded more than 60 scholarships to help high school graduates achieve their academic goals at universities across the country.
Scholarship recipients such as Kendall, a sophomore from Palatine, Illinois, now attending the University of Notre Dame, are chosen for their accomplishments and academic excellence. She says the financial support she received from the Foundation and Lilly Diabetes has helped her stay on the path to higher education and introduced her to a community of people with type 1 diabetes she wouldn’t have otherwise met. Kendall hopes to graduate with a degree in science-business and work in healthcare administration.
Applications for Foundation scholarships are due April 15, 2015. Applicants must be U.S. high school seniors with type 1 diabetes seeking higher education at an accredited four-year university, college, technical or trade school. The Foundation has awarded almost $900,000 in college scholarships to young adults with type 1 diabetes since 2008.
“Helping young people with type 1 diabetes attend college and live life to the fullest is a responsibility we take very seriously,” said Mike Mason, vice president, U.S., Lilly Diabetes. “Those who receive a Lilly Diabetes Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship are remarkable examples of what is possible with dedication to health, academics and community. We could not be more proud to help the Foundation support these students as they work to make their dreams a reality.”
In addition to college scholarships, Lilly Diabetes grants funds for families to attend the Children with Diabetes® Friends for Life® conference held annually in Orlando. Each year, eight to 10 families receive a scholarship, allowing them to learn from leading experts and share experiences with other families with children with type 1 diabetes.
Additional information and applications for Diabetes Scholars Foundation college and conference scholarships are available at www.diabetesscholars.org. Conference scholarship recipients are announced in May; college scholarship winners are announced in June.
