Kipling Collegiate senior Muskaan Gurnani recently won a $2,500 scholarship from the Diabetes Hope Foundation and Medtronic Foundation towards her post-secondary studies next year.
The aspiring doctor was one of more than 30 stellar young students with Type 1 diabetes to be recognized at the Evening of Hope Ceremony on Monday, May 9 night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. The annual ceremony honours promising young diabetic individuals for their academic, sports, and community accomplishments.Gurnani, 17, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2007 right before she moved to Canada from India with her family. Since then, not only has she risen to the challenges the disease presents, but she's managed to excel in both her studies and the management of her diabetes. In 2004, she demonstrated exceptional leadership skills when she helped organize a Tsunami Relief fundraiser for South East Asia, raising 14,000 rupees (about $300 CDN) towards the Times of India Tsunami Relief Fund. Last year Gurnani was honoured by her fellow students at Kipling Collegiate, who elected her student council president. In addition to her regular studies, Gurnani has also enhanced her leadership skills by receiving training in conflict resolution, negotiation and peacebuilding, and by devoting her spare time to representing the Parent Action on Drugs Organization. The Diabetes Hope Foundation, which was founded in 1999, operates under the belief that, with the appropriate financial resources and the proper education, young people living with diabetes can live full and productive lives, thrive in school, in sports, and in their communities - all while managing their diabetes.