2016-2017 Scholars
Emily Beth Glaze -Tarzan, Texas
Emily Glaze is a freshman at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX this fall. She is majoring in biomedical science and plans to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate degree. Emily was a five sport athlete in high school while also maintaining an academic record that allowed her to be at the top of her class. Her participation in church activities, sports, and student government have granted her opportunities to volunteer in service projects around her community at large as well as the state of Texas. Having come from a rural area in West Texas, Emily has seen firsthand the health care needs in small communities and hopes to someday use her degree to assist medically underserved populations as a surgeon. With the support of her CF team at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Emily is a thriving young woman with a very bright future.
Margaret Hull – Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey
Margaret is a freshman at Fordham University at Rose Hill, Bronx NY. She is majoring in Chemistry and would like to become a pharmacist one day. Her career choice was greatly influenced by her fight against CF and the associated medial care she has received. Margaret was President of her high school senior class and continues to participate in sports including soccer, swimming, and lacrosse. She strongly believes that physical activity is one of the best therapies for CF patients. Her ultimate bucket list goal is to skydive on all seven continents. “Some people may think that sounds crazy, but I think that it just proves my adventurous mindset and my ability to overcome CF's disabling capabilities. I have cystic fibrosis, but it does not have me.”
Emily Apakian - Folsom, Pennsylvania
Emily is a freshman at the University of Notre Dame studying Chemical Engineering on a Pre-Med track. She hopes to attend medical school and eventually find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. In her free time, she loves to perform community service, read fiction and nonfiction, and travel. Her favorite destinations include Cape Cod, Quebec City and Chicago. Emily participates in CF research studies every year. In high school, Emily was the president of the Community Service Corps, a member of the National Honor Society, a Girl Scout, a member of the FIRST Robotics Competition team, and graduating class Valedictorian. She and her family raise money for the CF Foundation and participate in the Great Strides Walk. She thanks the Elizabeth Nash Foundation for making college that much more affordable and appreciates the love and support from her family, friends, and her CF care team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Brian Burks - Los Altos, California
Brian is a sophomore at UC Berkeley. Artistically, he loves the piano. Anatomically, he has CF. Academically, he is a mathematician. Reaching a national level in mathematics competitions, Brian enjoys the thrill of solving difficult problems. The challenge of solving problems directly transfers over to his participation in CF research studies, starting with TobiTot up through, most recently, Orkambi. Playing the piano provides a necessary break from the demands of life. One meaningful piece in Brian's repertoire is Chopin's Ballade in G minor. Passing through contrasting moods, the piece reflects Chopin's battle with (mild, hypothesized) Cystic Fibrosis. Brian's hobbies include Nikoli-style puzzle solving, and creating as well as discovering solutions to mechanical puzzles similar to Rubik's cubes. Brian appreciates the support of the CF community and specifically the Elizabeth Nash Foundation. This is Brian’s second ENF Scholar award.
Elizabeth Schotman – Washington, DC
Liz is pursuing her Masters Degree in Geospatial Information Sciences, with a focus on Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, at the University of Maryland. The ability to spatially map natural resources, biodiversity, and human impact is a powerful tool that allows researchers to identify effective solutions to the complex problems that face our world today. Liz is currently lead researcher on an independent project that investigates the use of domestic goats as an eco-friendly method of controlling invasive vegetation. In her spare time, Liz enjoys all outdoor activities, including trail running, windsurfing, and rock climbing, and she regularly participates in obstacle courses like the Tough Mudder. When she’s not running around outside, she’s playing guitar, writing songs, or teaching herself videography. As a graduate student at the University of Maryland, she also teaches undergraduate honors students, introducing them to the fundamentals of sustainability. She actively works to minimize her ecological footprint, leading her students by example and showing them how simple lifestyle choices can lead to a healthier planet with healthier people.
Tabitha Caldwell – Round Rock, Texas
Tabitha is a freshman at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and hopes to further her education and pursue a master’s degree. She has been involved in cheerleading for the past 7 years and was a member of her high school squad, serving as Co-Captain her senior year. Tabitha loves helping and serving others and volunteers annually for Texas Mentor Foster Care and Dando Amor Shoes for Love. She is also passionate about academics, taking many AP courses and graduating 7th in her class. Tabitha has participated in multiple CF related clinical studies and is actively involved in the CF community.
John Pickering - Sumanee, Georgia
John received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, graduating Cum Laude with a BS in Biology. He is now enrolled at The University of Tennessee in the College of Dentistry in Memphis. John has been an ambassador for the Georgia chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation since being diagnosed with CF when he was 2 years old. He is passionate about helping and serving others, and looks forward to developing lifelong relationships with patients in his future dental practice. He is also passionate about physical fitness and works hard to maintain the best possible CF health until a cure is found. John is grateful to have been awarded the ENF scholarship all four of his undergraduate years, and is honored once again to receive the foundation's support as he starts on his path to becoming John Pickering, DDS!
Lauren Smith - Lakewood, New York
Lauren graduated Suma Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Geneseo. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Audiology at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Lauren plans to eventually work with the pediatric population possibly in a hospital setting. She hopes to be able to use her knowledge and skills to help diagnose and treat hearing loss in young children. Lauren recently returned from Beijing, China, where she spent two weeks working in a hospital to advance her clinical skills. She has spoken at many fundraising events for Cystic Fibrosis and has participated in many clinical trials through her lung center. Lauren has also recently taken up running as a means to maintain her health with the goal of running a half marathon sometime within the next year. This is Lauren’s 3rd ENF award.
Caroline Castonguay - Avon, Connecticut
Caroline is a freshman at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. She graduated from The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT with High Honors. Caroline is a CF Ambassador and considers herself to be the face, spirit, and odds-defying dynamism of CF in the 21st century. She believes she is part of an extremely fortuitous group: the first generation of CF patients who will outlive the disease. In high school, Caroline challenged herself academically, taking a heavy concentration of honors and AP classes, while continuing to excel as an athlete. She began playing soccer at age five and progressed to travel and premier teams. In high school, she was a starting defender and received the “Defensive Player of the Year Award” three consecutive years. She also participated in high school athletic softball and track and field. She earned the “Scholar Athlete Award” every semester for maintaining academic excellence while participating sports. Caroline is most passionate about ice skating. She is a member of an ice-skating club where she teaches children the fundamental skills of ice-skating. Caroline devotes free time to furthering the mission of CFF. Her Great Strides team has raised over $100,000, consistently ranking in the top five fundraising teams in CT. Caroline is a zealous lobbyist and was recognized for her efforts by CT Governor Rell at the bill signing for legislation mandating state-wide CF newborn screening. She has participated in four CF clinical research trials and was featured in a New York Times Health Section article about the CFF’s patient registry. Caroline is pursuing a double major in Digital Media and Design and English. Her goal is to work at Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli in Japan creating children’s movies. Miyazaki’s movies inspired, motivated , and cheered up Caroline as a child. She hopes to give other children those same feelings through her films
Maranda Miller – Lincoln, Nebraska
Maranda is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She is pursuing her Master’s degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. She works to integrate social science research with natural resource management to solve conservation issues. Maranda plans to pursue a career in international resource conservation after graduation. She actively volunteers with a variety of organizations, including nature centers and the parks and recreation department, as a way to help others and be involved in her community. Maranda also participates in CF fundraising events such as a Bingo event recently hosted by her friends and family. Maranda uses her CF as a teaching point to spread the word about the disease and has done radio and TV interviews about life as a CFer. Additionally, she loves photography and utilizes her new camera to show others beauty in the natural world. In her free time Maranda can often be found biking, kayaking, or hiking.
Sarah Young - Columbus, Ohio
Sarah is a third year student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She hopes to become a boarded laboratory animal veterinarian, and to continue conducting research in the field of pulmonary medicine. Before attending veterinary school, she worked at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a research assistant in the Critical Care Department. There she conducted pulmonary based research involving lung development, and compensatory lung growth. During her education to become a veterinarian Sarah is conducting research involving the immune system response of CF patient airway epithelial cells to influenza A infection. Sarah was inspired to continue her career in research, and to become a laboratory animal veterinarian, by her family, her health care team at University of Cincinnati’s Adult CF Clinic, her colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and her veterinary school mentor Dr. Ian Davis. Sarah is currently an extern with the University Laboratory Animal Resources team at OSU where she is gaining experience working as a laboratory animal veterinarian and learning how to care for the various species that are used to advance medical, agricultural, and environmental research. This is Sarah’s second ENF award.
Preston Vaughn - Encino, California
Preston is a freshman at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial Technology. He plans to attend graduate school and earn a masters degree in Business Administration. Preston is “a huge car guy” and intends to find a career in the business and marketing side of the auto industry. When he’s not playing his favorite songs on the piano, he is acting in plays and starring in musicals with his friends, which serve as an important creative and emotional outlet for him. Preston doesn’t use CF as an excuse to not try new things, and is proud of what he has gone through for the past 18 years. Preston mentors young kids who need advice regarding their disease, raises thousands of dollars for the CF Foundation every year, and actively participates in clinical studies. His team, “Preston’s Pedestrians,” walk at the CF Foundation Great Strides event each year to show their devotion hoping that one day in the future the cure will come.
Emily Beth Glaze -Tarzan, Texas
Emily Glaze is a freshman at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX this fall. She is majoring in biomedical science and plans to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate degree. Emily was a five sport athlete in high school while also maintaining an academic record that allowed her to be at the top of her class. Her participation in church activities, sports, and student government have granted her opportunities to volunteer in service projects around her community at large as well as the state of Texas. Having come from a rural area in West Texas, Emily has seen firsthand the health care needs in small communities and hopes to someday use her degree to assist medically underserved populations as a surgeon. With the support of her CF team at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Emily is a thriving young woman with a very bright future.
Margaret Hull – Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey
Margaret is a freshman at Fordham University at Rose Hill, Bronx NY. She is majoring in Chemistry and would like to become a pharmacist one day. Her career choice was greatly influenced by her fight against CF and the associated medial care she has received. Margaret was President of her high school senior class and continues to participate in sports including soccer, swimming, and lacrosse. She strongly believes that physical activity is one of the best therapies for CF patients. Her ultimate bucket list goal is to skydive on all seven continents. “Some people may think that sounds crazy, but I think that it just proves my adventurous mindset and my ability to overcome CF's disabling capabilities. I have cystic fibrosis, but it does not have me.”
Emily Apakian - Folsom, Pennsylvania
Emily is a freshman at the University of Notre Dame studying Chemical Engineering on a Pre-Med track. She hopes to attend medical school and eventually find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. In her free time, she loves to perform community service, read fiction and nonfiction, and travel. Her favorite destinations include Cape Cod, Quebec City and Chicago. Emily participates in CF research studies every year. In high school, Emily was the president of the Community Service Corps, a member of the National Honor Society, a Girl Scout, a member of the FIRST Robotics Competition team, and graduating class Valedictorian. She and her family raise money for the CF Foundation and participate in the Great Strides Walk. She thanks the Elizabeth Nash Foundation for making college that much more affordable and appreciates the love and support from her family, friends, and her CF care team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Brian Burks - Los Altos, California
Brian is a sophomore at UC Berkeley. Artistically, he loves the piano. Anatomically, he has CF. Academically, he is a mathematician. Reaching a national level in mathematics competitions, Brian enjoys the thrill of solving difficult problems. The challenge of solving problems directly transfers over to his participation in CF research studies, starting with TobiTot up through, most recently, Orkambi. Playing the piano provides a necessary break from the demands of life. One meaningful piece in Brian's repertoire is Chopin's Ballade in G minor. Passing through contrasting moods, the piece reflects Chopin's battle with (mild, hypothesized) Cystic Fibrosis. Brian's hobbies include Nikoli-style puzzle solving, and creating as well as discovering solutions to mechanical puzzles similar to Rubik's cubes. Brian appreciates the support of the CF community and specifically the Elizabeth Nash Foundation. This is Brian’s second ENF Scholar award.
Elizabeth Schotman – Washington, DC
Liz is pursuing her Masters Degree in Geospatial Information Sciences, with a focus on Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, at the University of Maryland. The ability to spatially map natural resources, biodiversity, and human impact is a powerful tool that allows researchers to identify effective solutions to the complex problems that face our world today. Liz is currently lead researcher on an independent project that investigates the use of domestic goats as an eco-friendly method of controlling invasive vegetation. In her spare time, Liz enjoys all outdoor activities, including trail running, windsurfing, and rock climbing, and she regularly participates in obstacle courses like the Tough Mudder. When she’s not running around outside, she’s playing guitar, writing songs, or teaching herself videography. As a graduate student at the University of Maryland, she also teaches undergraduate honors students, introducing them to the fundamentals of sustainability. She actively works to minimize her ecological footprint, leading her students by example and showing them how simple lifestyle choices can lead to a healthier planet with healthier people.
Tabitha Caldwell – Round Rock, Texas
Tabitha is a freshman at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and hopes to further her education and pursue a master’s degree. She has been involved in cheerleading for the past 7 years and was a member of her high school squad, serving as Co-Captain her senior year. Tabitha loves helping and serving others and volunteers annually for Texas Mentor Foster Care and Dando Amor Shoes for Love. She is also passionate about academics, taking many AP courses and graduating 7th in her class. Tabitha has participated in multiple CF related clinical studies and is actively involved in the CF community.
John Pickering - Sumanee, Georgia
John received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, graduating Cum Laude with a BS in Biology. He is now enrolled at The University of Tennessee in the College of Dentistry in Memphis. John has been an ambassador for the Georgia chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation since being diagnosed with CF when he was 2 years old. He is passionate about helping and serving others, and looks forward to developing lifelong relationships with patients in his future dental practice. He is also passionate about physical fitness and works hard to maintain the best possible CF health until a cure is found. John is grateful to have been awarded the ENF scholarship all four of his undergraduate years, and is honored once again to receive the foundation's support as he starts on his path to becoming John Pickering, DDS!
Lauren Smith - Lakewood, New York
Lauren graduated Suma Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Geneseo. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Audiology at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Lauren plans to eventually work with the pediatric population possibly in a hospital setting. She hopes to be able to use her knowledge and skills to help diagnose and treat hearing loss in young children. Lauren recently returned from Beijing, China, where she spent two weeks working in a hospital to advance her clinical skills. She has spoken at many fundraising events for Cystic Fibrosis and has participated in many clinical trials through her lung center. Lauren has also recently taken up running as a means to maintain her health with the goal of running a half marathon sometime within the next year. This is Lauren’s 3rd ENF award.
Caroline Castonguay - Avon, Connecticut
Caroline is a freshman at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. She graduated from The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT with High Honors. Caroline is a CF Ambassador and considers herself to be the face, spirit, and odds-defying dynamism of CF in the 21st century. She believes she is part of an extremely fortuitous group: the first generation of CF patients who will outlive the disease. In high school, Caroline challenged herself academically, taking a heavy concentration of honors and AP classes, while continuing to excel as an athlete. She began playing soccer at age five and progressed to travel and premier teams. In high school, she was a starting defender and received the “Defensive Player of the Year Award” three consecutive years. She also participated in high school athletic softball and track and field. She earned the “Scholar Athlete Award” every semester for maintaining academic excellence while participating sports. Caroline is most passionate about ice skating. She is a member of an ice-skating club where she teaches children the fundamental skills of ice-skating. Caroline devotes free time to furthering the mission of CFF. Her Great Strides team has raised over $100,000, consistently ranking in the top five fundraising teams in CT. Caroline is a zealous lobbyist and was recognized for her efforts by CT Governor Rell at the bill signing for legislation mandating state-wide CF newborn screening. She has participated in four CF clinical research trials and was featured in a New York Times Health Section article about the CFF’s patient registry. Caroline is pursuing a double major in Digital Media and Design and English. Her goal is to work at Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli in Japan creating children’s movies. Miyazaki’s movies inspired, motivated , and cheered up Caroline as a child. She hopes to give other children those same feelings through her films
Maranda Miller – Lincoln, Nebraska
Maranda is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She is pursuing her Master’s degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. She works to integrate social science research with natural resource management to solve conservation issues. Maranda plans to pursue a career in international resource conservation after graduation. She actively volunteers with a variety of organizations, including nature centers and the parks and recreation department, as a way to help others and be involved in her community. Maranda also participates in CF fundraising events such as a Bingo event recently hosted by her friends and family. Maranda uses her CF as a teaching point to spread the word about the disease and has done radio and TV interviews about life as a CFer. Additionally, she loves photography and utilizes her new camera to show others beauty in the natural world. In her free time Maranda can often be found biking, kayaking, or hiking.
Sarah Young - Columbus, Ohio
Sarah is a third year student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She hopes to become a boarded laboratory animal veterinarian, and to continue conducting research in the field of pulmonary medicine. Before attending veterinary school, she worked at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a research assistant in the Critical Care Department. There she conducted pulmonary based research involving lung development, and compensatory lung growth. During her education to become a veterinarian Sarah is conducting research involving the immune system response of CF patient airway epithelial cells to influenza A infection. Sarah was inspired to continue her career in research, and to become a laboratory animal veterinarian, by her family, her health care team at University of Cincinnati’s Adult CF Clinic, her colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and her veterinary school mentor Dr. Ian Davis. Sarah is currently an extern with the University Laboratory Animal Resources team at OSU where she is gaining experience working as a laboratory animal veterinarian and learning how to care for the various species that are used to advance medical, agricultural, and environmental research. This is Sarah’s second ENF award.
Preston Vaughn - Encino, California
Preston is a freshman at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial Technology. He plans to attend graduate school and earn a masters degree in Business Administration. Preston is “a huge car guy” and intends to find a career in the business and marketing side of the auto industry. When he’s not playing his favorite songs on the piano, he is acting in plays and starring in musicals with his friends, which serve as an important creative and emotional outlet for him. Preston doesn’t use CF as an excuse to not try new things, and is proud of what he has gone through for the past 18 years. Preston mentors young kids who need advice regarding their disease, raises thousands of dollars for the CF Foundation every year, and actively participates in clinical studies. His team, “Preston’s Pedestrians,” walk at the CF Foundation Great Strides event each year to show their devotion hoping that one day in the future the cure will come.