Meet the 2024 Scholars

"Describe a defining moment in your journey with CF that sparked personal growth or resilience. How did this experience affect you and what did you learn from this moment?"

I was just going through the motions; I never actually thought about what I do each day, why, and its effect. So, when a WBIR interviewer asked me how I manage to both take care of myself and stay motivated in life, I blanked. I had no answer; each pill, each treatment session, each day I did my treatments was just because it was what I had always done. But, after being asked this challenging question, after pondering how I could answer this question quickly to avoid embarrassment, and before realizing the change that was about to come, I answered with this: "I don't let CF control me; I control my CF." The change that occurred internally was in my action; the difference was that between intention and habit. As an East Tennessee Children's Hospital Ambassador, I usually had prepared answers for the classic questions I'd be asked. There's always the "what's CF?" and "what's it like to have CF?" - questions I've answered countless times. But I'd never been asked where my motivation in life comes from; it was a question that struck through the topsoil of prepared-answers and came to the bedrock of who I am as a person. It was not that I hadn't passion for ambassadorship, but I hadn't critically thought about my care routine, the intricacies of what I do and how it aids my health. During the time I - as a sophomore in high school - was asked this question, I was taking the college-level class AP Biology. Not only did this class describe and explain the labyrinthian complexities of the human body, it allowed me to comprehend the ways in which my body works and interacts with itself. I started understanding the basics of cystic fibrosis, the Delta F508 mutation, the CFTR chloride channel gene, and what an enzyme actually is. This, in turn, helped me to understand not only cystic fibrosis in general, but my cystic fibrosis. So, whether it was me doing my nebulizer medicine, playing soccer, or marching in band, I acted with intention. I acted knowing that what I do is beneficial to both my present self but also my future self. Knowing time is limited, I act with passion and purpose. So, the newfound understanding of my cystic fibrosis and intention I act with has allowed me to deeply appreciate the efforts of my mental and medical support system: my doctors and parents. Their efforts, a result of years of education and experience, had allowed me to be the person I am today. I can confidently say that who I am and what I've done is a result of all those around me. This fall I will be attending Columbia University in New York City to study climate science and urban studies. Even while being in a brand new environment in a small college dorm in New York, I will stay true to my motto: I don't let CF control me; I control my CF.