Voting Is Now OPEN

"Consider the positive influence you aspire to have as someone living with cystic fibrosis. How do you hope to inspire and empower future generations of young adults with chronic illnesses?"

As I have grown up with cystic fibrosis, I have been positively influenced by the people all around me. From when I was first diagnosed at six years old, all the way up until today, many people in my life have been a beacon of light. I hope and strive to be a light for others as people have been for me. My parents have always been supportive and uplifting, encouraging me to chase after all of my dreams. After being diagnosed with a chronic illness, my family always embraced the mentality that there is no time like the present. We prioritize time together, learning opportunities, and fun memories because we don't want to regret missing an opportunity if health problems arise. I have always been taught that I shouldn't let my life be defined by CF. My voice teacher, who also has cystic fibrosis, is one of my biggest inspirations. She started offering free singing lessons to her CF students through sINgSPIRE, and watching her impact on the cystic fibrosis community encourages me to make a difference as well. My younger sister also has cystic fibrosis, and I want to always encourage her to reach for her goals. She has been such an inspiration for me with her passion and positivity, despite the cards we have been dealt with our genetic makeup. I hope that I can influence her by sharing my experiences, especially since I've started college, and supporting her in everything that she does. I hope that I have taught her through my actions and goals that our disease cannot hold us back, and we are just as strong and capable as anyone around us. I will always encourage her to accept the amazing opportunities that come her way, from running on the track team, to auditioning for the lead in her school's musicals. Nothing should hold her back, nor should it hold anyone with cystic fibrosis back. I hope to be an inspiration for the whole cystic fibrosis community through my studies and passions for healthcare. I am currently studying pharmacy in my first year of college, and every day of classes brings new information that continues to give me excitement about my future. I am interested in pharmacogenomics, and I hope to be an advocate in this field for those with genetic diseases. Since there are certain CFTR modulator medications that only work for specific genotypes, I would love to explore this reality in order to help those that don't have their "miracle drug" yet. Using my own experiences and ambitions, I want to continue advancing the field so that the future generations of cystic fibrosis diagnoses are insignificant and trivial. I hope that by advancing the studies of pharmacogenomics related to genetic diseases, I empower other young adults to chase their dreams. We are stronger than our diagnosis, and I hope that I always embody somebody who is strong, fearless, and resilient to the CF community.