FARRAGUT, Tenn. (WATE) — A high school graduate out of Farragut is one of 58 recipients around the country to receive a scholarship through a nonprofit organization known as Beyond Type 1. 

Ansley Smith received the McCarter Family Scholarship through the organization to help fund her education.

Smith said she’s honored and thankful to receive the scholarship, especially because she knows the challenges of being a diabetic.

“Having diabetes can be hard because it makes you feel like you stand out, and it’s hard when you feel like everyone is looking at you and maybe not in the most positive way,” she said.

Smith was diagnosed with diabetes when she was six years old. Her two brothers also have Type 1, so healthy living, disease management and advocacy are top priorities for her and her family.

As she will soon be off to college, she wants to continue being influential in the diabetes community.

“Embrace your uniqueness, embrace what makes you different and use that to help others either with diabetes or just help other people in general who are going through hard things,” Smith said.

Smith will be a freshman at the University of Tennessee studying business analytics.