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Christine Padasak
From her essay:
"Living with CF has taught me to be more compassionate toward others with disabilities. I just started working at a preschool and I am able to sympathize with the parents of the students. Many of these children are facing shortened lives, but I believe that I can teach them how to make the most out of what they have."
Click here to cast a vote for Christine Padasak
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Sophomore and childhood education major Christine Padasak of Springville, N.Y., is one of 40 students nationwide with Cystic Fibrosis who won a $2,500 scholarship from Solvay Pharmaceuticals based on her personal essay about living with the disease.
She is now eligible for a $10,000 scholarship from the company. The winner will be selected by an on-line voting process.
Approximately 40 percent of the Cystic Fibrosis population is over the age of 18, which is one reason why Solvay Pharmaceuticals created the scholarship program known as SolvayCARES. Each year, Solvay awards scholarships totaling $100,000 to 40 CF patients who are in post-secondary education.
Online voting process
One SolvayCARES Scholarship winner will go on to earn the title of “Thriving Student Achiever” through an online voting process at www.SolvayCARESScholarship.com and will be honored with a scholarship totaling $10,000.
The student who receives the most votes online by Oct. 19 will be named the Thriving Student Achiever.
Supporters can vote for Ms. Padasak on a webpage that includes an excerpt of her essay here. The site includes a poem she wrote, which begins:
"It's not what you gather
But what you scatter
That tells the life you've lived."
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States.
Thanks to tremendous advances in medical treatments, more young adults with CF are living longer, healthier lives than ever before, and many more are pursuing higher education.