AbbVie Announces Public Voting Open for 30th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship "Thriving Student Awards"

• Online and mobile voting is open to the public now through September 28 to help determine this year's two Thriving Scholars
• Forty students living with cystic fibrosis (CF) are in the running for the two $25,000 awards based on their academic excellence, creativity, and community involvement/extracurricular activities
• This year's scholarship program marks 30 years of AbbVie's commitment to students with CF pursuing higher education

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie today announced the start of its two-week public voting period for the 2022 Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships. Following this voting period, scholarships totaling $25,000 each will be awarded to two commendable students living with cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.

Beginning today through September 28 at 10 a.m. Central Time, the public is encouraged to visit the official AbbVie CF Scholarship website (www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com) to learn more about this year's top 40 scholars through their essays and creative presentations. The public can then cast their vote to help select the 2022 Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship recipients. Votes can be cast online or via text message by texting the scholar's personalized ID code to "58185" during the two-week public voting period. 

"Beyond being a recipient of the AbbVie CF Scholarship, I am grateful I was able to share my cystic fibrosis story with the world," said Melissa W., 2021 Thriving Graduate Student. "As I continue to pursue my degree in Human Resources Management with the help of this scholarship, I am excited to continue using my voice to inspire and advocate for others."

Earlier this year, AbbVie selected 40 undergraduate and graduate students living with CF as recipients of a $3,000 scholarship for use during the 2022-2023 academic year. The award was based on their academic excellence, creativity, and community involvement/extracurricular activities. These 40 students now have the opportunity to earn the title of "2022 Thriving Undergraduate or Graduate Student," and an additional $22,000 in scholarship funding toward their higher education. The two winners will be determined by the number of valid votes cast by the public and the cumulative points awarded to each scholar by the AbbVie judging panel who evaluated the student essays and creative presentations.

"The 30^th anniversary of the AbbVie CF Scholarship program commemorates the community of students we have been able to support over the years in their endeavors to pursue higher education," said John Duffey, vice president, U.S. Specialty, AbbVie. "The 2022 top 40 recipients are beyond deserving and have impressed us all with their inspiring stories and ambitions to pursue their goals while living with CF."

AbbVie will announce the 2022 Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students in early November. 

About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas and other organs of those living with this condition.¹ In patients with CF, a thick, sticky mucus is produced in certain organs throughout the body, most commonly the lungs and digestive system. The mucus build-up in the lungs can cause difficulty breathing and may lead to life-threatening lung infections. In the pancreas, the thick mucus may prevent the release of digestive enzymes and proper food digestion, potentially leading to malabsorption and malnutrition.

About the AbbVie CF Scholarship
The AbbVie CF Scholarship was established 30 years ago in recognition of the financial burdens many families touched by CF face and to acknowledge the achievements of students with CF. Since its inception, the scholarship program has awarded over $3.7 million in scholarships to over 1,000 students. The AbbVie CF Scholarship is part of AbbVie's ongoing commitment to the CF community, which is comprised of more than 30,000 people in the United States. Today, more than half of the CF population are age 18 years or older.¹

It is not necessary for scholarship applicants to have taken, currently take, or intend to take in the future, any medicine or product marketed by AbbVie, and this is not a consideration in the selection criteria. More information about the AbbVie CF Scholarship criteria and application can be found at www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com.

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. 

SOURCE AbbVie