Academic Scholarships

Sicily is a freshman at North Carolina State University majoring in Textile Engineering and minoring in Global Leadership and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives. She is an alumna of the esteemed North Carolina Governor’s School, and is one of three Shelton National Leadership Scholars, a highly competitive program that develops service-oriented values-based leaders. Sicily aspires to impact the CF community by using technology and innovation to develop life-changing smart textiles much like the ones that have helped improve her own life.

Sicily has demonstrated a deep commitment to the CF Foundation, raising funds in numerous ways including through sales of her original music & debut album Deep Breaths. She has performed in countless productions with her local theater program, and has helped organize the annual Rocky Mount Mills 5K Race benefiting CF for the past eight years. In her free time, Sicily enjoys playing guitar, laughing with her sisters, traveling, shopping, and spending sunny beach days breathing in the salt air.

Troy is a first-year student at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University pursuing a degree in Aviation Maintenance Science. He ultimately hopes to have his own aircraft maintenance business in South Florida. Troy graduated in the top 10% of his high school class and was a recipient of the President's Award for Academic Excellence and The Cambridge AICE Diploma.

Troy’s CF is caused by two rare mutations, so he does not benefit from current modulator therapies that have been so positively impactful for other people with CF.

He is focused on opportunity, not limitations and would happily regale you with stories about how his paddleboard was charged by a shark, doing yoga with free divers at Deans Blue Hole in Bahamas, and training to be data analyst for the Boca Raton High School basketball team, a position he requested because he could not run full court and keep up with training.

Troy is a CF Foundation Ambassador and fundraiser seeking not only to increase awareness of CF, but also to encourage children and adults with CF to stay active and not let their diagnosis stop them from reaching their full potential.

Abbey is a first-year student at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA pursuing a Master of Occupational Therapy degree. She recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida with a major in Health Sciences and a minor in Psychology.

During her undergraduate studies, she served as President of the Future Occupational Therapists of America club, completed more than 100 hours of observation in occupational therapy clinics, and was actively involved in campus leadership and volunteer work.

Passionate about helping others live more independent and fulfilling lives, Abbey plans to work in a clinical setting providing client-centered, holistic care. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, running, lifting, reading, and spending time with her loved ones.

Jacob is a fourth-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. After graduating from Stanford University in 2021 with a BS with Honors, Jacob worked at Genentech doing drug research and development for neurological disorders.

He is currently conducting anesthesia research in the lab of Dr. Jonathan Pan, and was UCSF's medical student delegate to the American Medical Association, and Co-Coordinator of Health Link - an extracurricular program that offers education and mentorship about different careers in health care to 80 local high school students.

After getting his MD, Jacob hopes to complete anesthesiology residency and possibly a fellowship in adult critical care. Ultimately, he hopes to combine his experience as a CF patient with his medical training to care for patients, advance medicine through research, and improve access to care through patient-centered health policy.

Aaron is a sophomore at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. He is enrolled in the 3+1 MBA program and is majoring in Financial Services on the CFP track. After graduation, Aaron hopes to become a financial advisor.

On campus, Aaron is involved in the Wealth Management Association and DECA. He has also taught financial literacy to elementary school students. As a former football player, Aaron values hard work, discipline, and teamwork, qualities he carries into all areas of life.

Outside of school, he works in the restaurant industry, where he enjoys building strong connections with both customers and coworkers. Aaron's ultimate goal is to use his education and experiences to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Sarena is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut pursuing a BS in Mathematics/Actuarial Sciences. Her goal is to work as an actuary for an insurance company.

On campus Sarena is actively involved in the actuarial society, finance society, economics society, and women in business. She also works part time at the Bursars Office and is active in raising funds for the CF Foundation and volunteering at the Registrar of Voters Office and the First Congregational Church.

This academic year Sarena is also working as a research assistant and studying for her first actuarial exam in financial mathematics.

Anna is a veterinary student at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh, NC. She is a 2022 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, where she majored in biology and minored in chemistry.

Anna has been a disability advocate on her college campuses and a CF Foundation peer mentor. As part of her final year of study she is rotating through various services of the small animal hospital. Next year she’ll graduate with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), completing her eight-year journey to become a veterinarian and fulfilling her lifelong dream to provide compassionate care to companion animals (mostly dogs and cats) thereby improving the lives of both pets and their owners.

In her free time, Anna enjoys spending time with family. She and her spouse love hiking and camping with their Standard Poodle, Hamilton, and their tabby cat named Altair.

Ryleigh is a third-year student at The University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She is pursuing a BSN in nursing and hopes to pursue a Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia. At UVA, Ryleigh is a member of the Writers' Club and is an undergraduate research assistant in a concussion research lab.

She is a Virginia certified Nursing Assistant and also currently volunteers in the operating room, which has further solidified her interest in pursuing a career in nurse anesthesia.

Outside of her interest in nursing, Ryleigh enjoys writing fiction, and hopes to one day publish a novel.