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."

The CF community has given me continuous support, love, and care. For instance, last summer, I applied to the CF Peer Connect program, in-part through the CF Foundation. I spoke twice a month with my mentor (who also had CF) because I believed he understood exactly why I was in constant stress and anxiety. As an applicant to medical school (and hopefully a future doctor), I believe that my ability to relate to patients who have CF will give me the opportunity to give back to the CF community. Although I am not sure which specialty I would like to pursue, I know I do not want to be a surgeon, which means I will more likely begin with a residency in internal medicine. As an internal medicine doctor, I will likely come across various CF patients. Moreover, in addition to treating patients, I would also like to assist in pulmonary research dealing with CF. My interest in this was sparked when I attended my Johns Hopkins Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Internship. Here, I researched about Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its effects on CF patients and non-CF patients post-lung transplantation. Overall, whether it is by treating patients or advancing knowledge about CF through research, my commitment to the CF community is that I will be an advocate for them. On a personal level, I believe my experiences with CF have shaped my personality. Specifically, my experiences have allowed me to become a more caring and empathetic person. For instance, in my Johns Hopkins internship, I was placed in a position where I felt a strong connection with the CF patients I was researching. As a result of me having CF, I was more aware and understanding of the daily struggles these patients go through. Consequently, my CF experiences have allowed me to become a more empathetic person, and in turn, will allow me to be a better advocate for the CF community. Although my journey to becoming a doctor is barely beginning and is far from over, I have a strong passion for being in this profession. Even though much remains uncertain at the moment, what is certain is that the CF community has helped me throughout the way, and I am determined to give back.