Meet Olivia: Olivia and her family have been involved with Breakthrough T1D for many years after she was diagnosed with T1D at just 7 years old. Last year Olivia headed off to University of South Carolina for college to study Sport Entertainment Management. She shares with us her experience transition to college life with T1D. 

When I decided to go to the University of South Carolina, one of mine and my family’s biggest concerns was the distance from home. U of SC is about 670 miles from New Jersey, and not having my doctors or family close by was concerning to say the least. Lucky for me, Breakthrough T1D has given me access to such an amazing community of people and support groups and I was also able to do zoom calls with my doctors. I never felt alone or intimidated my freshman year of college.

The transition from high school to college is difficult for anyone, then adding this disease on top of it, definitely makes things more complicated. I went from my teachers, coaches and nurses in high school all knowing about my T1D, to no one knowing about me. I was nervous about going low on my walk to classes or having to explain myself to a professor…there were many fears! I did register for accommodations with the university, which I would definitely recommend doing. Lucky for me, my roommate is studying to be a nurse and her aunt has type one, so she knows a lot about life with diabetes. This was a huge stress relief for me. My other 3 roommates quickly learned about type one and always had my back if I needed help. I never realized how many of us there are. College introduces you to so many new people and I encourage you to keep an eye out for someone with an insulin pump or CGM…I see a lot of them. It is way more common than you think!

I joined a sorority during the summer going into freshman year and I knew from my experience with Breakthrough T1D annual Walks, fundraising, as well as public speaking engagements, I wanted a community just like that. One of my friends in my sorority instantly asked me about the Dexcom on my arm. She told me her best friend has type one and she had been to several of the Breakthrough T1D Walks. This made me feel welcome and at home. You meet so many amazing people during your college life that are intrigued about type one, want to help you, and also educate themselves.

Adjusting to college was a lot at first but I began to get the hang of it very quickly. I recently started my sophomore year at U of SC and had to be at school the first week of August. South Carolina summers are extremely hot and humid, so I learned how to correct and adjust my settings, to not drop too low on my walk to and from class. I’ve had to figure out how to manage the late nights and different eating times. I actually feel that having more independence at school has allowed me to grow more as a person and better manage my T1D. I am beyond excited to get more involved on campus and hopefully join a club that has other type one students I can connect with, as well as continue my work with Breakthrough T1D.