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."

My future ambitions within the Cystic Fibrosis community aren't difficult, but simple. Simple to be recognized, since people within our society still seem to pass by our illness. Our illness Cystic Fibrosis needs to be recognized, or simply just to be known. I’m personally transparent with everyone I meet about my illness, but I’ve even set aside my illness. I’ve seen and felt a change, people either don’t see the effect of the illness or begin to give sympathy. Personally, both concepts bother me, since I don’t want to be given sympathy or pity. Since my illness won’t hold me back to live my life to the fullest, every step I take isn’t due to my illness, it's my ambition to prove our society wrong. A huge misconception generally within our society, our society seems only to believe their eyes, never their ears. I’ve been told countless times, “you look fine.” Yes, I do look fine, as my looks perceive I’m fine, I must be fine. Our society needs to change, everyone may perceive to be fine, but someone may deal with depression, hunger, and the list can continue. But the points people need to understand eyes may deceive, listen and believe. My so-called “expiration date” may be at age 46, but I believe I can live longer, I believe in hope and faith. But life’s unpredictable, personally, I strive to prove our society wrong. People with Cystic Fibrosis can live life to the fullest, and those are my ambitions within the Cystic Fibrosis community, to give hope and strength to those younger. And on top, I strive to hopefully soon become an ambassador to the Cystic Fibrosis community. Throughout the last semester, I got invited to speak in front of a crowd to help fundraise. Truly blessed to be able to go out and speak, but speak the truth. Especially after COVID, I spoke my truth to the crowd, and I felt so blessed to be given the opportunity. I realized I want to go out again, and the perfect next step can’t be directly now. But definitely within the near future, I hands down want to impact the younger generation within our community to help and inspire. Hopefully, give the younger generation a better opportunity. A better future, since our community needs hope to strive for greatness. My next professional step is definitely without question an ambassador to our community. Hopefully, it’s soon, but within the near future, I’ll strive to become an ambassador. An ambassador to help impact the younger generation within the Cystic Fibrosis community.