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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?"

My life with cystic fibrosis is the only life I will have. Reading that sentence back and realizing it is true still shocks me every time. Growing up, I didn't fully grasp this concept that my CF would be with me wherever I go. I always questioned, "Why me? Why do I have to live with this? Why can't I just be normal?" At a young age, I convinced myself that if I didn't acknowledge my disability outside of my family and doctors, it didn't exist and I was "normal". This stemmed from the societal pressure that I felt. It was a common trope in media I consumed, or even at school, to have a "weird" kid that would be ostracized from the group. That student could be the nerd, the shy kid, or in my case, the disabled kid. I was terrified of being placed in that category, so it became my mission to blend in with everyone else. I built up a wall and protected myself from the judgment I feared from my peers. This societal pressure shaped me more than I realized, until I began to outgrow it. In my junior and senior years of high school, I began to tear down this wall brick by brick with the support of my teachers and coaches. It started slowly, as I was terrified of the judgment and questions I might receive. But when I finally opened up about my disability, I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders. Each conversation helped me replace fear with understanding, both from others and within myself. I learned to embrace vulnerability and face my greatest fear, accepting myself as someone with cystic fibrosis. After years of avoiding this reality, I came to understand that while CF is part of my life, it does not define my potential or my purpose in life. This shift in self-acceptance has shaped how I now view my future. I want to challenge the negative stigma and unrealistic social standards in schools by being a positive influence on my future students. A year from now, I will begin my full-time dream career as a secondary mathematics teacher. Living with a chronic disability in the school system shows others that they, too, can stand up and embrace being different in a meaningful way. I do not need to fit into unrealistic societal expectations. I can be my goofy, authentic self, speak openly about my disability, and use my experience to educate and support others. I want my students, and those around me, to feel unashamed of who they are and any challenges they carry, whether that be their ethnicity, language, sexuality, or medical conditions. I hope to be the role model I once needed, someone who helps students feel seen, capable, and unafraid to be themselves.