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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?"

Growing up I was constantly reminded of the challenges of having cystic fibrosis (CF) and the additional hurdles that I would face to live a "normal life", but I have always wanted to live an extraordinary life. I wanted to be someone who pushed the boundaries and stood out from the norm for more than just genetic misfortune. Despite the hurdles brought on by my chronic illness, I have been dedicated to changing the stigma through my professional and academic aspirations and pursuit of a highly active lifestyle. I hope to inspire future generations of young adults with chronic illnesses to prove that you do not have to simply aim for a "normal life" but instead, to set the bar and their dreams even higher. Currently, I am pursuing my MBA to complement my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. I aspire to ascend into executive leadership in my corporation and one day kickstart my own business. Balancing a fulltime engineering job, graduate school, social life, fitness, and daily medical regiments is no easy task. It comes with 5am wake ups to lift weights before work, squeezing treatments in between meetings, calling out from work to attend clinic, and rebounding from surprise infections. Setting high aspirations with a chronic illness can be a grind, but I hope to show others that it is still possible and that regardless of our life challenges we all deserve the opportunity to dream big. Outside of work, I try to live life to its fullest. This passion manifests in weekly mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, rock climbing, or simply anything with an adrenaline kick. I have been fortunate to accomplish feats that doctors told me would not be possible with CF, such as skydiving, summitting mountain peaks, and even scuba diving. These experiences have shown me that nothing is beyond the reach of determination. Currently, I mentor high school robotics students and volunteer as an archery coach on the weekends. This combines my love for giving back with academics and the outdoors. In the future, I aspire to mentor others facing chronic illnesses, demonstrating that it is possible to live life to its fullest - whether that means attaining a master's degree or free diving 30-feet underwater. These goals prove to myself and others that people with chronic illnesses can set ambitious dreams in life despite being weighed down by a chronic illness. If I could offer one piece of advice to others in the chronic illness community, it would be to set big goals first, then roll up your sleeves to make it happen!