i am officially diagnosed with 13 severe food allergies.

My entire life I have grown up embodying the mentality that my allergies are my unique gift and sometimes it takes more work, but it’s a part of who I am. However, it doesn’t mean it has always been a piece of cake.

From the countless kids at school who would dangle food, I was allergic to over my lunchbox to "see what would happen” to having to watch peers eat out at a birthday dinner while I sat there not able to eat anything. This constant overwhelming fear looming over me every time I eat is unshakable. Because of my allergies, I developed an obsessive-compulsive disorder ("OCD"), which makes me constantly check every food label 5-6 times, wash my hands until they’re bleeding because of the fear of an allergen being on my hands, not eat something if there’s a chance something may have happened to it, and so much more mental strain.

A lot of people don’t understand the complexity behind how much food allergies consumes your everyday life and there’s not much you can do about it. Luckily for me, my mom is the most amazing person in the world and has made it her life goal for me to have a “normal” lifestyle as a kid with so many allergies. She would make me my own special treats to take to birthday parties, bring in my special foods for tasting parties at my school, and always makes me feel like my allergies are something special, not a punishment.

I had the realization moving so far away from home this past year to go to college that I was given my allergies for a reason. I am using them to fuel my entrepreneurial and tenacious spirit to develop Krescent as the first manufacturer of allergen-friendly foods that caters directly to college kids. Although I cannot change the reality of my life, I can help others feel less alone and allow them to not feel inhibited by their allergies.