Yesterday, The JDRF Type One Summit was held here! It was so great being one of my first events as a youth ambassador. I got to do lots of jobs with my fellow ambassadors to make this event a possibility.

What is the summit?

JDRF’s Type One Summit is a huge event for diabetics and their families. There, they have: representatives from the supply companies, seminars for issues regarding T1D, and so much more! Adults got educated through speakers and seminars in the small rooms and the main (HUGE!!!) room. The kids went to the “Kids Corner” to do arts and crafts, play board games, build legos, and do activities in the center of the room. In the “Kids Corner resides the one, the only Rufus the bear!!!!

My summit adventure

It all started with me waking up at around 5:30 in the morning so we could get to the event on time (not too thrilled about the 5:30 part but it was worth it to work with these amazing people.) We had a 45-minute car ride which consisted of me watching videos on quantum mechanics, quarks, and astrophysics (yes, really.) We arrived at the hotel where the summit was being hosted and we found our seats in the main room. I then went back into the office rooms where I found all of my friends and fellow ambassadors in JDRF’s designated room where we all received our assignments and we got to work.

The first thing that I did was handing out bags full of pamphlets and snacks to the attendees. I Kept on doing the same process for about an hour or so, then it was time for the next task.

I was also a moderator for a seminar on insurance and T1D. This meant that I had to facilitate the seminar and collect surveys from the audience. We went into our respective rooms for the seminars and all was well, except for just one thing: according to my fellow ambassadors, it was blazing in the room! Once we finally located the a/c, we saw that it was blasting at 90 degrees. 90 degrees was a normal day where I come from in the desert so I was not as affected. We experimented with the a/c units in all of the rooms until we finally got it on an acceptable temperature 10 minutes before the seminar started. People poured into the rooms. I chatted with the speaker for a few minutes and then the seminar started. In the end, I collected surveys and presented the speakers with a certificate on behalf of JDRF.

In the end

At the end of the day, people went home with new diabetic friends, more knowledge, and a better understanding of this chaotic and unpredictable disease.