Brett Buschbascher is currently a high school Geometry teacher and a baseball/basketball coach from Franklin Academy, Malone, NY. He was also a high school special education teacher for 13 years at the same school. He has been attending FFL Orlando since 2021 with his wife, Laura, and 2 sons, Greyson and Emerson. His oldest son, Greyson, was diagnosed with T1D in July 2020. In his spare time, he enjoys downhill skiing in the winter and playing golf and pickleball in the summer. He is very excited to volunteer in the Teen room this year!

Ashley Child, PharmD, BCACP, is a dedicated pharmacy healthcare leader, life long learner, wife, mom of four, and proud sister of a T1D Warrior. She is passionate about patient advocacy and educating future health care providers about the importance of patient centered care. She lives on the Seacoast of New Hampshire and works for Mass General Brigham at Wentworth Douglass Hospital. Ashley is excited to be a part of the CWD family and finds joy in making new connections and friends for life.

Hannah Cope, BSN, RN, has been attending Friends for Life Orlando since 2005 and always looks forward to being surrounded by so many affected by diabetes. She graduated from Quinnipiac with her BSN and went to work as an RN on a surgical unit for several years. During those years, she fell in love and married Garrett Cope, who had also been attending this conference for years with his family. In 2021, Hannah gave birth to her daughter, Clara, and embraced becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. Fast forward to 2023, the Copes welcomed their son, Beckett, into the world. Parenting with diabetes has its challenges, but she is grateful to have support from family and friends. She is super excited to be back on the Teen staff this year!

Aaron Cordell is a social studies teacher living in Philadelphia, PA with his girlfriend, Hannah, and their dog, Ruby. He teaches at an alternative high school that services disadvantaged and at-risk youth from North Philadelphia. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and being outdoors. Aaron was introduced to Friends for Life through his girlfriend, Hannah, who was diagnosed with type 1 at age three, and has been attending/volunteering at the conference most of her life. He is very excited to be working with the Teen Team again this year!

Kevin Covais is an actor, singer, and diabetes advocate. He is most recognized as a Top 12 Finalist on the fifth season of “American Idol,” which aired in 2006. On the show, Kevin was mentored by several award-winning recording artists including Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow, and he placed 11th overall. Since his “Idol” days, Kevin has transitioned into acting. His credits include a lead role in the 2008 MGM comedy, College, a supporting role in the family film, Touchback, starring Kurt Russell, as well as a role in 2014’s summer blockbuster, Transformers: Age of Extinction. Kevin has also made several television appearances, including a guest star credit on the FOX show, “Raising Hope.” Disney Channel fans know Kevin best as Victor Deleseur on the hit show, “Good Luck Charlie.” Kevin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 11 and has worked with the Diabetes Research Institute for many years. He is thrilled to be a part of Friends for Life again after making his first FFL appearance in 2006.

Jess Forster, MSW, RSW, is a Register Social Worker who has worked in the Markham Stouffville Hospital Pediatric Diabetes Clinic in Ontario Canada for more than 15 years. She has volunteered for various North American Friends for Life conferences as well participated in numerous quality improvement projects within the clinic and across the province of Ontario. Currently she is the co-chair of the ISPAD Mental Health Special Interest Group. Jess is interested in implementation of psychosocial screening tools into clinical care and providing virtual diabetes specific CBT, DBT and ACT programs to adolescents with T1D and their caregivers. Outside of work, Jess enjoys hiking, reading and drinking too much coffee.

Sandy Hartranft, RN, BSN, CDCES, has been a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist for over 30 years and has been employed at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since 2014. She enjoys teaching children and their families how to use insulin pumps and CGM’s as well as how to care for the complexities of type 1 diabetes. She and her husband Glenn have raised three energetic boys and, in their spare time, love to travel, having been to 43 of the 50 states. Sandy is excited to be back again to work with the teens at FFL.

Manuel Iris is a teacher, poet, and public speaker. Manuel has successfully taught literature, culture, and language classes in Mexico and the United States at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. He is a Poet Laureate Emeritus of the City of Cincinnati, and was recently named Writer-in-residence of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, and of Thomas More University. He has given readings, lectures, and workshops about poetry, translation, diversity and Hispanic Culture in Mexico, the US, and Europe. He was the coach of a two-time champion poetry slam team in Cincinnati (2017 and 2018).

Russ Johnston has three people near and dear to him that have type 1, and has been coming to CWD and Friends for Life Conferences since 2015. Russ graduated from Marquette University in 2015 from the School of Education and is currently a high school math teacher in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Russ is very excited to be on staff again and could not be more ready to help make the Friends for Life conference a great experience for everyone. For him, the best part of Friends for Life is helping teens connect to other teens across the country with whom they can relate.

Lisa Klingler lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Justin, and their two teens, Ellie and Jack. Ellie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age six, and their family has been navigating the T1D journey together ever since. Lisa has spent nearly two decades in education and currently supervises educators supporting nonpublic schools and English learners. She’s also worked as a teacher, instructional specialist, and consultant. Lisa is passionate about creating inclusive spaces for teens and is excited to volunteer at Friends for Life. She enjoys being outdoors, playing board games, and cheering on Penn State football.

Chaney Landgraf, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner operating a small, private practice in Eastern North Carolina and a faculty member at East Carolina University in the College of Nursing. He has an interest in working with individuals with diabetes to help them manage diabetes distress and burnout in addition to helping generally with managing emotional and behavioral concerns in children, adolescents, and adults. Prior to becoming a PMHNP, Chaney worked as a registered nurse in several roles including critical care, where he became acutely familiar with managing many acute and chronic health conditions including diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, and end organ damage.

Carter Landry graduated from Wheeling University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He played five years of division 1 rugby. He now runs youth rugby skills development programs. Carter is currently working in sales as an account executive. This will be Carter’s fifth year volunteering in the teen program at Friends for Life.

Stephanie Nickerson, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and works with youth and their families diagnosed with diabetes in the Diabetes Center for Children at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Stephanie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2007. Her own diagnosis inspired Stephanie's commitment to ensuring all youth and their families diagnosed with diabetes receive psychosocial support and advocating for equitable healthcare as they navigate their chronic illness. Stephanie is thrilled to be volunteering at FFL, after completing the CWD Fellows Program in 2024. Stephanie lives in South New Jersey, and loves to read, cook and spend time with her two cats!

Ernie Prado serves as the Super Guppy Project Engineer in the Aircraft Operations Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center. In this role, he is responsible for maintaining airworthiness of the Guppy, integrating payloads, upgrading systems, assisting Maintenance, supporting sustaining engineering and ensuring mission success. In 2019, the Super Guppy airlifted the Artemis spacecraft between NASA facilities supporting America’s mission to Mars. Previously he worked at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) where astronauts train prior to spaceflight. At the SVMF, he led projects to create, maintain, and upgrade full-size International Space Station trainers and mockups that astronauts use to prepare for their missions. In addition to his work at NASA, he is involved in manufacturing large-scale 3D Printers. Ernie holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautical Sciences and Engineering from UC Davis. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 15 and has been on an insulin pump since 2011. While wearing an insulin pump and CGM, Ernie has achieved 8Gs in a centrifuge during an Aeromedicine study. In his free time, Ernie enjoys snowboarding, SCUBA diving, crossFit, building Legos, and tinkering.

Sam Sevor is a high school social studies teacher from New York. He has attended the Orlando conference beginning in 2022 and has always looked forward to being a part of it! Some of Sam's hobbies include directing the musical for the high school he teaches for, as well as being an avid hiker. Sam would like to thank everyone at Friends for Life putting together an awesome conference, and his mother for providing tons of support.

Bob Squaresky, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES, has lived and worked in the Philadelphia area most of his life. He started his career as a dietitian but then specialized in pediatric diabetes education and technology. In his free time, Bob loves to spend time outside with his husband and dogs. He enjoys reading, cooking, and the beach.

Lindsay von Bernuth, MS, PA-C, is Physician Assistant in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she has worked in a primary care pediatric clinic for over 20 years. She attended her first FFL conference 11 months after her daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2018 at age eight. Since then, her and her family have valued the experience of meeting and connecting with other families and staying up to date on the latest developments in diabetes care. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, skiing, traveling and watching Colorado sports. She’s excited to work with the healthcare providers this year and looking forward to helping make FFL a positive and memorable experience.

Jessica Wisniewski, MSc, lives in Philadelphia and is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. She currently works as a project manager in the healthcare industry. Jessica loves traveling, playing competitive volleyball, and spending time outdoors. Jessica was diagnosed with diabetes 18 years ago and has attended many Friends for Life conferences. She is excited to be volunteering with the Teen Team and participating after missing a few years.