Meet Makayla. Makayla is a college senior. A couple years ago, Makayla, witnessed her friend experience a severe allergic reaction in the dining hall. Growing up with a younger brother who has food allergies, Makayla recognized the signs of anaphylaxis and acted fast to get help. Thankfully, her quick thinking made all the difference—but the experience opened her eyes to something bigger.

“Afterward, I realized that most students around us didn’t know what was happening or how to respond,” Makayla shared. “They wanted to help, but they just didn’t know what to do.”

Determined to change that, Makayla worked with campus dining services and the health office to create clear, easy-to-read signage for all dining halls. The posters include what symptoms to look for, how to use an epinephrine auto-injector, and when to call for emergency help.

Now, every student who walks into a dining hall at Makayla’s university has access to potentially life-saving information, something Makayla hopes will make her campus safer and more inclusive for everyone.

“I just wanted people to feel prepared,” she said. “You don’t need to have allergies to make a difference, you just need to know what to do.”

This is such a great idea! Do any of your dinning halls have similar posters?

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