Great Barrington — A recent graduate of The Berkshire School has received a $5,000 scholarship from the nonprofit organization Beyond Type 1.
Maya Hampton-VanSant will be attending the University of Richmond in Virginia this fall to study sociology and criminology.
The Beyond Type 1 organization, out of San Mateo, California, was founded in 2015 and is an educational and advocacy group for people who deal with Type 1 diabetes.
“Essentially, the organization was launched to create a community for people who have Type 1 diabetes because a community did not exist before,” organization Vice President of Mission and Programs Jordan Jendricks told The Berkshire Edge. “There have been resources and other organizations for several years, but there wasn’t a safe space where they could talk about things that are off limits to others, including how alcohol affects your blood sugar, sex and diabetes, and things of that nature. Beyond Type 1 was created to facilitate this community and these conversations that we have.”
This year, under its Diabetes Scholars program, the organization awarded $166,000 to high school students across the country who are living with type 1 diabetes and pursuing postsecondary education.
Hampton-VanSant was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at nine years old.
She said that she hopes to pursue studies in law school and eventually work for the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
This year, Hampton-VanSant worked alongside the FBI during her internship with the state Department of Justice United States Attorney’s Office.
“I just really want to make a difference in the criminal justice system and the prison system,” Hampton-VanSant said. “I think that what Beyond Type 1 is doing is important. They are doing a lot of good to support students like me going to college. There are a lot of additional costs when it comes to health insurance keeping up with diabetes. A scholarship like this means a lot to students like me.”
Hampton-VanSant added that educating people about type 1 diabetes is very important and that she is happy that the organization advocates and educates.
“The difference between type one diabetes and type two is something that I would love for people to understand,” she said. “Just that type one is something that you don’t bring on yourself and it doesn’t go away. It requires daily upkeep and a lot of work. It can be really hard mentally as well as physically on your body. I think Beyond Type 1 is important because they are helping people and they are also supporting young people with diabetes.”
For more information about the Beyond Type 1 organization go to its website.
