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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello everyone:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">We are please to announce the winner of the 2025 Teresa Haven Memorial Scholarship. We had a number of candidates and appreciate the interest from everyone who applied. Sarah Breen is this year’s winner. Here is a bit of information in
her own words:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">My name is Sarah Breen! 19 years ago, my world was flipped upside down, receiving multiple diagnoses that changed my life at just 3 years old. It has been<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">quite the journey, but living with multiple chronic illnesses has allowed me to live a life led with empathy and kindness. I think it is so important for<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">people to understand a disease or disability as more than just merely a diagnosis; it is a lived experience that impacts every aspect of a person’s life,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">while simultaneously making them who they are. I have experienced many high highs and low lows, but I have never let my illnesses stop me. Adjusting to<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">life in college with multiple chronic illnesses has been a challenge, but technology has made the transition feel much easier. Technology has become my<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">lifeline and has allowed me to do things I never knew possible. In 2023, I filled my backpack with medical supplies and left to study abroad in Indonesia.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If it weren’t for the technological advancements that have been made, my life-changing trip would not have been possible. This trip showed me that I really<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">can do anything I set my mind to. My disease is not a roadblock that stops me in my tracks, but a challenge I am capable of overcoming. I am currently<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">attending UCSB with aspirations to become a diabetes educator or work in nonprofit management. I have seen the role community plays in improving the lives<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">of those living with a disability, and this firsthand experience inspired my career goals! <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Congratulations Sarah and we wish you well in your future endeavors.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">We will have some additional exciting announcements that will be shared soon so stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff Bishop<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ATHEN President and the ATHEN Leadership Team<o:p></o:p></p>
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