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"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?"

Living with cystic fibrosis has taught me that navigating a chronic illness is not just about managing symptoms, it's about reclaiming agency. Too often in healthcare, especially in rare diseases like CF, the approach to care becomes a checklist: identify, treat, and monitor. Individuality is lost. As a first-year medical student and someone personally impacted by this, I've seen how even our education models this rigid approach. We learn hallmark features and "standard of care" treatments, but rarely pause to ask "What does this patient truly need? How does this treatment fit into their actual life?" I hope to inspire others with chronic illnesses by challenging this status quo, and by showing that we deserve more than a lifetime of one-size-fits-all care. We deserve to be heard, to be understood, and to have options that reflect our values. Through patient experience sessions and my advocacy work in student government and medical interest groups, I've come to see how powerful patient narratives are. When we speak up about what's not working — the pill fatigue, the silent burnout, the desire for flexibility — we create space for others to do the same. Living with CF has also shaped how I move through the world, not just as a patient, but as a person. It's taught me to notice the quiet gaps in care and empathy that others might overlook. I've become the kind of person who pays attention to who's missing from the conversation, to what's left unsaid in a clinical note, to the subtle ways someone's dignity can be upheld or dismissed. That attentiveness now guides how I listen, how I advocate, and how I show up. Whether I'm mentoring peers, working in student government, or simply offering support to a friend who's overwhelmed, tuning in to what's not being said guides how I respond to those around me. CF hasn't just influenced my career path. It's shaped my character, turning limitations into a language for connection and leadership. I want younger generations of CF patients and others with chronic illness to see that they are not a burden, and that their experiences aren't something to hide or minimize. Their voices have the power to shape the very system that treats them. I hope to lead by example, not by masking my challenges, but by owning them in a way that sparks dialogue, demands better care, and builds a community of mutual strength. My goal is to normalize shared decision-making and holistic, lifestyle-informed care. I want future patients to feel empowered to ask, "Is this treatment serving me?" and to know they're not alone when the answer is no. I hope to embody a future where individuality is the rule, not the exception; where chronic illness isn't just something to survive, but a lens through which to build a more compassionate, patient-centered healthcare system. That's the future I want to help shape — and the one I hope inspires others to join me.