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"How has your journey with CF shaped the problems you want to solve and the impact you hope to have on others?"

Growing up with cystic fibrosis has taught me resilience, adaptability, and empathy. It has been shown through experiences that challenges can shape purpose and that difficult circumstances can result in a different type of perspective on life. Enduring the challenges of CF, I have gained a new perspective: if you can never find the good in anything, you will never be good enough for yourself. I realized if I saw life with cystic fibrosis as an impossible obstacle rather than the chance to embrace every small win and find strength in the struggle, I would miss the life that is full of opportunity and hope. The biggest challenge I have faced in my CF journey is reality. Since grade school, I thought pretending to not have it was better than showing people how it truly is. Like hiding medications, lying about appointments, and avoiding questions—protecting myself from pity or fear of being defined by it. But this act came at a cost, and that is isolation. They saw the "normal" Elle, energetic and bubbly, while I carried that weight alone, missing out on the support of close friends and family. I thought it was better to avoid pity than face the true problem—the distance that I caused. I hope that my experience of creating walls encourages people with challenges to not hide behind them. It is better to meet them head-on with support rather than alone. I hope to have a personal impact for not just people with CF but also anyone that is facing a challenge. When I was about four years old, I asked my mother why she gave me CF, and her answer was, "Elle, I didn't give you CF on purpose." After a moment she continued, "And we all have to have something." My response to her was "What do you got, mama?" At the time, I wasn't sure what "something" meant. I just knew that what I was dealing with, she was dealing with something too. I've finally realized how true that really is. Everyone is carrying something seen or unseen. And for me, living with CF has taught me that the way I respond to my 'something'—with resilience, dedication, and perseverance—is how I impact others. Not by being perfect but by showing others they're not alone in what they carry. Cystic Fibrosis is not just a challenge I was given - it is the lens through which I have learned to see others with compassion and myself with strength. It has shown me that vulnerability is not weakness, and that letting people in can turn isolation into connection. My 'something' may look different from another's 'something' but it gives me the ability to remind others they aren't what they struggle with. And if my story can reach even one person in their hardest moment, reminding them they are not alone, then every challenge I have faced has had a purpose.