Meet the 2022 Scholars

"2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the AbbVie CF Scholarship. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to continuing to recognize more students pursing their educational goals. Please share your future ambitions in the Cystic Fibrosis community, professionally and personally."

I believe many people with Cystic Fibrosis have the same goal in mind from the time they are very young, to make it to the next day. Everyone has internal battles that they are constantly fighting. Cystic Fibrosis is called an invisible illness for a reason. There is a battle going on inside that the outside world is blind to. A quote that has stuck with me from the movie Five Feet Apart is, “This whole time, I’ve been living from my treatments instead of doing my treatments so I could live.” A couple of years ago, I started an Instagram page to reach out to fellow CFers. I learned about the different mindsets around CF and how it is different in other parts of the world. I was also able to share my experiences and relate to others that had endured similar experiences. Publicly sharing the ups and downs of a chronic illness has helped me become more accepting of CF and not feel alone. My page also supports other CFers and shows how you can have a positive attitude while still battling CF. It has helped me to create and maintain a more positive mindset. Following this mindset is my personal goal in life. It is effortless to be put inside a box of expectations of someone with CF and follow everything exactly how it should be. My passion in life is horses, but horses create dust. Living in a dusty environment is not ideal for a CF patient, but it’s part of who I am. I have constantly challenged myself not only to be good for having CF but to be the best compared to anyone. For eight years, I played soccer, a physically challenging sport that requires cardio endurance. I have ridden bulls, traveled across the country by myself, and had many incredible opportunities. My goal is to continue this lifestyle and stay true to my morals. I don’t back down from a challenge or lower the bar because I have a chronic illness. Cystic Fibrosis requires someone to go the extra mile to do what other people can do without a second thought. This doesn’t mean CF patients should set the bar lower and put in the equal effort as everyone else. It means CF patients work harder and become stronger despite the presented challenges. Everyone has limited days, but nobody knows how many. It is vital to live every day to the fullest. Cystic Fibrosis has taught me to appreciate the little things in life. It has taught me to appreciate every breath I am given because it is a gift. All of the little things that go unnoticed in life are the little gifts of the present. It is important to treat everything like a miracle; every flower, every sunset, every drop of rain. I will maintain my health and focus on the gifts the world is presenting me.