Anyone faced with a life-long chronic illness like Crohn’s disease has a choice: one can either succumb to the disease and use it as an excuse or rise above the disease and use it as a source of empowerment and inspiration. Jennifer Walker, 24, has undoubtedly chosen the latter path and is well on her way to becoming a health care professional who will help others take charge of their own health.
What sets Walker apart from many others who struggle with Crohn’s disease, a debilitating gastrointestinal (GI) illness in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells in the GI tract, is her profound determination to cope with her illness as a part of her life instead of something that dictates it. She fosters a close relationship with her gastroenteritis and maintains a healthy lifestyle which includes a well-balanced diet and daily exercise. Diagnosed at age 18, Walker has already helped others manage their own health: through working at dental clinics in Central America, she has taught countless people how to care for their teeth and gums and hopes to continue to spread her convictions about personal health throughout disadvantaged communities using her career in dentistry.
Beyond her personal sentiments about health, Walker is respected as a leader in her community. She was voted “Most Inspirational” by her varsity tennis team and graduated as Valedictorian from her high school. In college, Walker was a student body senator and president of her sorority. Part of her collegiate experience included summiting a mountain that was over 14,000 feet where she also conducted field research at 12,500 ft, despite bouts of fatigue and crippling gastrointestinal pain, which are common symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Walker went on to present the results of her research at the 2007 International Hypoxia Symposium. Clearly, Crohn’s has not thwarted her plans of achievement and success.
Due to her strong convictions about health and her outstanding scholastic and service achievements, Walker is a recipient of a $10,000 scholarship from UCB Crohn’s Scholarship Program: Reaching Beyond Boundaries.
Walker is excited to be attending the University of Washington School of Dentistry this fall after working this past summer as a research coordinator at the Seattle Veterans Hospital and volunteering in the dental clinic for a Seattle homeless shelter. In addition to practicing dentistry at the highest level, she aspires to be a respected oral health advocate and hopes to one day provide a “dental home” for all members of her community. Walker also plans to serve on local and national dental boards and participate in the overhaul of our nation’s health care system, as she is determined to address the current disparity in access to oral health care.
About UCB Crohn’s Scholarship Program
2009 marks the fourth year that UCB has awarded scholarships to outstanding individuals seeking higher education while living beyond the boundaries of Crohn’s disease. More than one million dollars has been granted to a total of 105 winners in scholarships of up to $10,000 each. UCB is proud to empower people with Crohn’s to help realize their dreams. The 2010 Scholarship Program is now available and can be accessed on www.CrohnsAndMe.com, an interactive Web site designed to empower people living with Crohn’s disease to live fully and be proactive in their care.
About Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic, progressive and debilitating inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, affecting more than 500,000 people in the United States. While Crohn’s is a lifelong chronic condition, most people are diagnosed in their late teens and early twenties. Most Americans living with Crohn’s often feel isolated and limit social activities because of the constant pain and fatigue they experience, as well as the fear of an immediate need to find a public restroom as a result of the disease. Often the embarrassing nature of the disease forces those afflicted to battle Crohn’s disease alone, as people find it difficult to share their experience with others.
