Meet the 2022 Scholars

Get to know the hopes, dreams, and talents of this year's winners.

Taylor M.

Undergraduate Recipient

"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."

As a child I spent many days at the hospital. I was taken care of by countless nurses, doctors, and other healthcare specialists. It made me realize just how important of a role the field of medicine is. The field of nursing is one that has been shed light on, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been called heroes and it is easy to see why. They are putting their life on the line to help others. This, in combination with all of the amazing nurses that have taken care of me throughout my life, has inspired me to go to school to become a nurse. My hopes are to help and inspire others that are facing similar diseases. Specifically in the Cystic Fibrosis community, I want to work to make life-saving CF medications accessible to everyone. Financial standings should not determine if someone can have life-saving medications. I plan on working and advocating for those individuals. I also hope to be financially stable enough to donate my money and time to spreading awareness of CF. I have thought about the possibility of writing a book about growing up with CF and working to become a division 1 athlete and also attending nursing school. I think it would be a way to allow other people to see that they can do anything they put their mind to. My hopes would be to inspire other young adults or children with CF to follow their dreams and not get caught up in the limitations placed on them. My biggest goal is to motivate others and help them reach their goals. When I was a young child I always dreamed of playing college sports, but I never thought I would actually be able to. If my younger self could see me now, I know she would be very proud. I want other people with CF to know that they can also achieve these dreams that they might think are impossible. As a child I didn't really have an older person with CF to look up to, so if I could be that person to even just one child, it would make all of my work meaningful and worthy.

Taylor M.'s Artwork

Taylor M.'s Achievements

  • High School Varsity Lacrosse Team, 2016-2020
  • Division 1 Kent State Women's Lacrosse Team, 2020-Current
  • CFF Volunteer, 2015-Current
  • Resolute Club Lacrosse Coach, Summer 2022
  • Working on a research project at Kent State to decrease loss and cost of inhaler spacers, 2021-Current
  • Acceptance into Kent State's Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, Summer 2022
  • National Honor Society Treasurer, 2019-2020
  • High School Varsity Lacrosse Team Captain x2, 2018-2020
  • High School Varsity Lacrosse MVP, 2019
  • Mid-American Conference Honor Roll, 2021-2022