For Carroll Senior High School senior Kylie Connor, raising awareness about celiac disease has become more than a growing movement – it’s a personal mission. The student advocate, who was diagnosed with Celiac disease when she was 10, recently traveled to Washington, D.C., where she joined national leaders and policymakers to push for greater awareness, research and support for those living with the autoimmune disease.
Connor was selected by the Celiac Disease Foundation to participate in a series of advocacy meetings with members of Congress and their staff. As the only representative from Texas, she spent the day meeting with lawmakers to discuss policies that could expand research funding and improve resources for people with celiac disease.
“We were encouraging FDA approvals, increasing research through the National Institutes of Health and getting more people involved in the congressional celiac disease caucus,” Connor said. “It was really cool to be able to take those meetings and share why this matters.”
Closer to home, Connor is also organizing local Celiac Strong Day efforts on May 1, now in its third year across Carroll ISD, encouraging students to wear blue — the official color of celiac awareness — while participating in hands-on lessons and awareness activities.
“I really want to raise awareness,” Connor said. “Even small things like wearing blue can help start conversations.”
Connor plans to continue her advocacy while studying biology and nutritional sciences in college next fall.