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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?"

As a person with Cystic Fibrosis, it has always been easy for me to see myself as different. It is already hard to keep track of my nutrient intake, medicine doses, visits to the doctor, and breathing treatments I have to do. But it is sometimes even harder to deal with the fact of being different and having to live in fear of judgment. When I was younger, it was hard for me to accept that there were certain physical differences between me and my friends. Knowing that made me feel like an outsider. I felt different from everyone else. When I had to take my digestive enzyme pills during a meal, I would often hide it. I would either lean down beneath the lunch table or take a convenient 'bathroom break' to hide the fact that I had to take them. Eventually, this feeling of detachment from everyone else made me extremely unconfident. I wouldn't give myself the respect I deserved. I was mentally battling with my disease more than I was physically. I was putting myself down all the time. I felt alone. What I was lacking was a real role model who I could look up to for guidance. I didn't see or know of anyone else in my life that had a chronic disease like me. Sure, my friends had broken a leg or two, but no one I knew had anything close to Cystic Fibrosis. It was hard to accept myself and to be comfortable with all that I had to deal with. Like me, I'm sure many kids with chronic illnesses want to see a person out there with similar setbacks, overcoming their own fears in order to be successful. I'm sure there are kids out there who yearn to see people with CF out in the world as trailblazers and guides. I want to answer their call by being a role model myself. I want to show others with chronic diseases that being successful is possible and overcoming the mental setbacks that often come with these chronic diseases is possible. My goal is to demonstrate to younger kids that with a determination to do well, they can become whatever they want to be despite what holds them back. My hope is for my story to inspire others to put trust in themselves, love themselves, and to shoot for the stars in whatever endeavor they choose to take on next.