Hi, my name is Emmanuelle and I’m a high school junior from New York City. I’ve always loved to cook and bake, and as the daughter of a gastroenterologist, I’ve also developed a keen interest in health and nutrition. Last year, I did an internship at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, under the supervision of Dr. Paula Alonso-Guallart, who is working on a cure for Type I Diabetes. 

 

In my research, I learned more about the disease, the alarming rate of increase in prevalence worldwide, the unaffordability of treatments for so many, and yet the simple things that we could do to reduce the increasing rates of diagnosis. I realized that my access to healthy food and knowledge of nutrition was a privilege, when it should be a right. I also realized that the habits people develop as teenagers, regarding diet and exercise, tend to stay with them for life. So I saw an opportunity to target this age group, in the hopes of implementing lasting change that will improve the lives of generations to come.