Meaningful change for families affected by celiac disease often begins with one person willing to speak up.
Globally, 1 in 100 individuals live with celiac disease, and because it is hereditary, first-degree relatives face a 1 in 10 risk of developing this chronic autoimmune condition. For advocate and donor Courtney Andelman, those statistics are deeply personal: three of the four members of her immediate family, both of her twin daughters and Courtney herself, have celiac disease. For Courtney, these statistics are her life. They are the reason she has devoted herself to making college campuses safer and more inclusive for students who require a medically necessary gluten-free diet, proving that one voice can transform outcomes for many.
Courtney’s family journey began with a difficult diagnostic path. Although her daughters showed symptoms, multiple healthcare providers initially dismissed their concerns. It was not until a positive test ordered by an allergist that all three received endoscopy-confirmed diagnoses. Support from extended family members with celiac disease helped them transition to a gluten-free lifestyle, but as Courtney looked ahead to the girls going to college, she recalls, “I never imagined the girls would be able to experience typical freshman dorm life.”
When her daughters enrolled in college, one at UC Davis and the other at Cal Poly, those concerns quickly became reality.
Before orientation at UC Davis, Courtney discovered that the Residential Dining Dietary Support Program, which allows students with medically necessary diets to pre-order meals, would not begin until the academic term. Because orientation was mandatory and lasted several days, students who required a strict gluten-free diet had no reliable access to safe meals during orientation events. With advocacy support from the Celiac Disease Foundation, she reached out to the university, and the issue was resolved within a day.
At Cal Poly, however, her other daughter faced more significant barriers. Limited options, inconsistent food handling practices, and lack of variety meant she had to walk nearly four miles daily just to obtain food she felt safe eating.
Rather than leading with frustration, Courtney chose collaboration. Through thoughtful conversations with dining staff, persistent outreach to administrators, and a solution-focused mindset, she gained a clearer understanding of the institutional hurdles that can delay meaningful change. Her efforts helped catalyze improvements in Cal Poly’s gluten-free dining landscape. Students now have access to dedicated gluten-free stations, expanded safe options across markets and cafés, and accommodations designed to reduce financial strain for those with medically necessary diets.
Many of these changes, implemented early in the winter quarter of 2026, are already being described by students as a “game-changer.”
Individual advocacy is often the catalyst for change, and when it is paired with collective expertise, its impact can extend nationwide. In 2025, the Celiac Disease Foundation convened the Celiac Disease College Consensus Summit, uniting clinicians, researchers, students, parents, disability service leaders, and dining professionals from across the country. The result is a set of evidence-based National Recommendations for Supporting Students with Celiac Disease in Higher Education. These recommendations address real-world barriers and offer practical, student-centered solutions spanning dining, housing, academic accommodations, and campus inclusion. You can view a copy of the recommendations and accompanying materials at https://celiac.org/school-college/.
Access to safe food is not only a campus issue, but also an economic one. Through its Celiac Disease Food Insecurity Resource Network (CD-FIRN), the Celiac Disease Foundation provides monthly gluten-free food boxes to families facing food insecurity. In partnership with the Food Equality Initiative and hospitals across the United States, the program helps patients maintain their health on a strict gluten-free diet.
But Courtney recognized a gap: college students.
When proposed cuts to SNAP, the federal program that provides monthly grocery benefits to people with limited income, threatened food access for students with celiac disease; she again stepped forward. Working with the Foundation, she helped launch a pilot program delivering gluten-free food boxes to food-insecure students at Cal Poly and UC Davis.
These boxes are more than groceries. For students balancing academics, health, and finances, they are a lifeline ensuring reliable nutrition so they can focus on their education rather than worrying about their next safe meal.
From resolving dining access barriers to influencing campus policies and expanding food security programs, Courtney’s story exemplifies advocacy in action. Her willingness to listen, collaborate, and persist reflects the power of informed, compassionate leadership.
Courtney’s story reminds us that when individuals speak up and communities come together, meaningful change doesn’t just happen…It grows, opening doors for students with celiac disease on campuses everywhere.
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Interested in expanding protections and food access for students with celiac disease? Contact Emma Kowzun at emma.kowzun@celiac.org to learn how you can get involved.
Together, we can ensure that every student with celiac disease has safe access to food — on campus and beyond.