TL;DR: Campus admin have the opportunity to become allies for students with diabetes as ‘Campus Advocates'.
The Diabetes Link's Campus Advocates are individuals (non-students) on college campuses who are interested in supporting, assisting, and advocating for student-led chapters.
They can be a member of campus administration, college faculty, staff, or alumni. Each Campus Advocate will support their local chapter in a way that is highly individualized to their own personal interests and skill sets, as well as to the chapter’s needs and goals.
Goal: Campus Advocates will be educated on the experiences of students affected by diabetes on campus. They will be engaged individuals that actively support both individual students and chapters.
With a network of Campus Advocates across the country, our student-led chapters will be better equipped to provide the much needed peer support to even more students affected by diabetes.
Sign up for our quarterly Campus Faculty Newsletter to get in the know.
Fill out the form below to become a Campus Advocate–
The Diabetes Link will provide you with resources to learn about college life with diabetes. This way, you will be informed and ready when a student leader comes forward to The Diabetes Link to start a chapter.
Fill out the form below to start a chapter at your school–
After filling out this form and our ‘Become a Campus Advocate’ form, we’ll give you the tools to spread the word about The Diabetes Link on campus and actively work towards identifying a student leader on campus.
What happens next? The Diabetes Link staff will reach out within the next two weeks to connect with you and share helpful resources!
Students: Do you have an amazing ally on campus you’d like to nominate as a Campus Advocate for your school? Ask them to fill out the form under Step 2 on this page.
Brittany’s Story
“I remember my university experience – I didn’t know another person with type 1 diabetes on campus! It was tough navigating dining halls, parties and stress on my own (not to mention explaining all the devices and beeping!). When I started working with Emory University as one of their clinical dietitians, I knew there was an opportunity to create a different experience for students with T1D. Thanks to [The Diabetes Link], we have support, resources and a connectivity point to do just that.”
—Brittany Veras, MPH, RD, LD
While life in college is full of big steps for everyone, young adults with diabetes face many unique challenges on campus. But they also have years of experience with resiliency, self advocacy, and strength. With Campus Advocates, students will have an ally to provide consistency and stability as they move through college and run their student-led chapter. Even having one person who ‘gets it’ to talk through challenges and offer support will make a significant difference in creating a safer, more welcoming environment for students with diabetes on college campuses.