The Boomer Esiason Foundation congratulates the exceptional students with cystic fibrosis who recently were selected by the Foundation to receive scholarships for the coming school year. The Foundation awards more than $250,000 in scholarships each year to outstanding students with CF who strive both for therapy compliance and for academic success.
“While our ultimate goal is to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, we know that the 30,000 Americans living with the disease need assistance in the here and now,” Esiason said. “Our scholarship program is one we are addressing the day-to-day needs of people living with CF.”
The Boomer Esiason Foundation is “very proud of our 2011 scholarship recipients,” Esiason continued. “Dealing with this disease is tough, but they’re living, breathing proof that people with CF can lead full and productive lives.”
The Scholarship of the Arts is an annual award promoting communication through creativity. Artwork in the form of video, painting, sketching and sculpturing is considered. 2011 recipient Amber Mott, 18, is from Laurel, Miss., and plans to study art at Jones County Junior College.
The Bonnie Strangio Education Scholarship was established in 2005 to honor the memory of Bonnie Strangio. The scholarship is awarded to a person living with cystic fibrosis who has, like Bonnie did, an upbeat personality and “can-do” attitude, and shows a tremendous passion for life in achieving their goals despite battling CF. 2011 recipient Nathan Roshak, 17, is from Corvallis, Ore., and plans to study education and history at Oregon State University.
The Rosemary Quigley Memorial Scholarship honors a remarkable woman who didn’t allow cystic fibrosis to keep her from studies at Harvard and Michigan that led to her career as a medical ethics professor and health policy attorney. Rosemary passed away in 2004 at the age of 33. This scholarship was established to enable and inspire young adults with CF to engage in academic studies that will lead them to lives and careers of personal and professional fulfillment. 2011 recipients include: Markose Butler, 19, of Austin, Texas, who will study government and international relations at the University of Texas – Austin; Emily Ingram, 18, of Austin, Texas, who will study secondary education at Baylor University; Jeremy Keathley, 20, of Prestonsburg, Ky., who is studying biology at the University of Kentucky; and Carly Wheeler, 18, of Murphysboro, Ill., who will pursue a degree in biomedical sciences at Southeast Missouri State University.
In addition to these scholarships, the Boomer Esiason Foundation offers a general academic scholarship and the Exercise for Life Scholarship, awarded annually to high school senior scholar-athletes. The Foundation also works with Abbott to present the Sacks for CF Scholarship, made annually to 30 students who strive for therapy adherence and academic success. For more information and applications, please visit the Scholarships page on our website (Scholarships Page).
Other programs offered by the Boomer Esiason Foundation for the cystic fibrosis community include:
- Club CF, a website that allows people with cystic fibrosis to open up and share some very personal stories with others who may be able to relate to their experiences. Visit the Club CF page on our website, or go to the Club CF website (http://www.clubcysticfibrosis.com).
- CF Podcasts, a series of audio and video interviews by BEF Volunteer Jerry Cahill with a variety of people from the CF community. Visit the CF Podcast section of our website, or go to Jerry Cahill’s website (http://www.jerrycahill.com).
- CF Wind Sprints, a series of brief videos offering tips for living with cystic fibrosis. View the videos in the CF Wind Sprints section of our website, or go to www.cfwindsprints.com.