My name is Sophie S. and I have a life-threatening allergy to sesame and a mild tree nut allergy. I’ve had my allergies since I was 13 months old, but I have outgrown my dust and cat allergies. I carry my epi-pens with me throughout the school day, fencing practice, and traveling.

I love traveling with my family and I have been lucky enough to go to many places both in and out of the country with them in the past year, which has taught me a lot about traveling with food allergies. I love to photograph the places I visit when I get the chance to, but most of all I love spending time in the outdoors, doing things such as backpacking. When I’m not traveling for a fencing tournament or doing homework, I’m either reading or playing with my beloved lab mix.

I’ve had three anaphylactic reactions in my life and suffered from food anxiety because of them. However, I’ve overcome it by taking charge in my community by educating and raising awareness. I’ve taught part of my school how to use an epi-pen, done newspaper interviews, and participated in many FARE events and groups, such as a Food Allergy Heroes Walk, and being a member of TAG. I can’t make my allergies disappear from my life entirely, but I can raise awareness to the people around me to help create a safer environment for me and all others with food allergies.