Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) when she was only 16 months old, Samantha admits, "Every part of who I was came from the battle inside my body. But as I grew older, I decided to turn this challenge into a positive." At age 4, she had already become such a passionate volunteer that she was named one of the Arthritis Foundation’s "Heroes Overcoming Arthritis" by her local chapter—the youngest person on record to receive that honor. Samantha has continued that momentum, recently starting a DVD donation campaign for the children’s ward at York Hospital in York, Maine. "Movies were an indispensible escape for me when I was first dealing with the pain of arthritis, and every child should be given the opportunity to have that escape as well," she explains. In high school at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, Connecticut, Samantha maintained a 3.94 grade point average and competitive swimming. After 8 years of swimming, she recently began volunteering as a coach because she wants to continue to put her experience to good use, even as she begins the next busy chapter in her life. This fall, Samantha will attend University of New Hampshire and plans to become a constitutional lawyer. "I have embraced life and made the most of every opportunity that has come my way. I would not be the person I am today without my arthritis."