This year, both the DC and Maryland offices of the Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Chapter have interns going above and beyond in the quality of work they provide to help us create a world without T1D. We asked them to share their T1D stories and their favorite part about interning at Breakthrough T1D.

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Maryland Interns

Rebekah Bozman, Towson University 

I am currently a senior at Towson University studying as a community health major. While I am not directly affected by T1D, I have several friends who are. As a health promoter, I care about the well-being of those around me.  Through my sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, I have volunteered for the Baltimore Gala and Breakthrough T1D One Walk for the past four years and consider that time to be the highlight of my college career. I am honored to be able to devote my time to furthering the cause to turn Type 1 into Type None. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, traveling, and time spent with family.

Kelly Weaver, Towson University

Like Rebekah, I am also a senior at Towson University and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta. My major is health science. I was diagnosed with T1D when I was four years old, and found out about Breakthrough T1D through my endocrinologist. During my younger years, I participated with my family in many walks and outreach events, but became more focused on sports and extracurriculars as a teen.  When I got to college and joined Alpha Gamma Delta, it reignited my passion for Breakthrough T1D and I have volunteered at the Baltimore Breakthrough T1D One Walks and Galas for the last four years.

A memorable moment for me was during the 2015 Breakthrough T1D One Walk when I was assigned to cheer on walkers as they crossed the finish line. Seeing the faces of all of the individuals who love and do so much for those with T1D was truly life changing and inspiring for me.

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DC Interns

Sydney Hart, George Washington University

I am currently a senior at the George Washington University studying political science and history. Born and raised in Chicago, I decided to come to school in DC to stay in an active city environment after being diagnosed with T1D my senior year of high school. This May will mark my four-year anniversary with T1D. Learning to adjust to an entirely new set of routines and all around lifestyle in my late teens has definitely been a huge challenge for me. I was first introduced to the Breakthrough T1D community through a family friend who was diagnosed just a year before me, and together our families took on the challenge of completing the Breakthrough T1D Ride to Cure Diabetes in Lacrosse, WI the following year. After an eye-opening hospital stay my junior year of college, I decided that it was time to get more involved with the Breakthrough T1D community. I quickly reached out to the Breakthrough T1D team in DC in search of an internship or any sort of volunteer position.

Outside of school, I live an active life enjoying the many restaurants, museums, and trails of the DC area. Traveling and exploring new areas is my favorite activity.

 

David Kalter, Skidmore College

I am a graduate of Skidmore College with a B.A. in psychology. I live in Bethesda, Maryland, my hometown, and wouldn’t have it any other way. For leisure, I love to cook, play video games, watch sports, and play pickup basketball as much as I can. In addition to my work at Breakthrough T1D, I also help out at the Children’s Hospital with the Endocrinology Psychology research team.

I was diagnosed with T1D at age nine, and since then my family and I have been fundraising for Breakthrough T1D. I came back to DC after graduation and I realized Breakthrough T1D was a perfect place to put in some time because it helps me continue making connections in the diabetes world, where I hope to be involved until a cure is found. It also keeps me updated with what is going on in the world of diabetes, and is such a wonderful workplace environment.

For the last 13+ years, my family has had countless Walk teams, Gala tables, and interim projects to help fundraise for Breakthrough T1D. I have also gone to the Dominican Republic with AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad, Inc.) for two summers, and more recently did my own independent trip to Ecuador with my girlfriend, Ella.

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Interested in interning for Breakthrough T1D? Contact Kristen Van Meter at kvanmeter@BreakthroughT1D.org or (443) 792-4228.