Public Voting is Open for the 2018 AbbVie CF Scholarship Thriving Student Awards, Given to Two Exceptional Students Living with Cystic Fibrosis

- Earlier this year, 40 AbbVie CF Scholars were awarded $3,000 based on their academic excellence, creativity and community involvement/extracurricular activities

- The public is now invited to vote for students to help determine this year's Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Students

- Now in its 26th year, the AbbVie CF Scholarship program has awarded more than $3.2 million to deserving students living with CF

News provided by

AbbVie

Sep 05, 2018, 11:00 ET

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie, a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, today announced its annual call for the public to vote for students living with cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, as part of its 2018 Thriving Student Scholarship. Scholarships totaling $25,000 each – the Thriving Undergraduate Scholarship and the Thriving Graduate Scholarship – will be awarded to two deserving students.

From today through September 19 at 11:00 AM EDT, the public is encouraged to visit the AbbVie CF Scholarship website (www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com) to learn more about this year's AbbVie CF Scholars and review their online profiles to cast a vote to help determine the 2018 Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Students. The public can vote online or via text message by texting the student's personalized ID code to "31901" during the two-week voting period.

"I have always dreamt of becoming a child psychologist, and thanks to the AbbVie CF Thriving Graduate Scholarship, I have been able to focus more on my studies and less on the stresses that come with paying for my education," said Taylor MacLean, 2017 AbbVie CF Scholar and Thriving Graduate Student. "I want to let other students living with CF know that despite the challenges, achieving your goals is possible, and I'm grateful that the AbbVie CF Scholarship, along with my family and care team, has allowed me to do so. Being acknowledged for my work and determination has helped me realize my full potential."

Earlier this year, AbbVie selected 40 undergraduate and graduate students living with CF to each receive a $3,000 AbbVie CF Scholarship for use during the 2018-2019 academic year based on their academic excellence, creativity and community involvement/extracurricular activities. These AbbVie CF Scholars now have the opportunity to earn the title of 2018 Thriving Undergraduate or Graduate Student along with an additional $22,000 in scholarship funding for use toward their dreams of higher education. The Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students will be determined based on a combination of their academic achievements, community involvement/extracurricular activities, essay and creative presentation scores, as well as the number of public votes cast.

"Students living with CF inspire us every day. They are true fighters who don't let their diagnosis hold them back from making a difference - whether it's in the classroom or in their community," said John Duffey, vice president, U.S. Specialty, AbbVie. "AbbVie has been proud to show our commitment to students with CF and their families by carrying on the AbbVie CF Scholarship tradition for more than 25 years."

During the voting period, the public can show their support for the AbbVie CF Scholars by tweeting the link below. AbbVie will announce the 2018 Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students in October.

Click to Tweet: Students living with #cysticfibrosis need your help! Cast your vote to help award two $25K scholarships and determine the 2018 AbbVie CF Scholarship Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students https://bit.ly/TnPPq1

About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system 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 digestive system, the thick mucus may prevent proper food digestion, potentially leading to malabsorption and malnutrition.

About the AbbVie CF Scholarship
The AbbVie CF Scholarship was established 26 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 $3.2 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. As of 2016, more than half of the CF population are 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 is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

References
^1. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. About Cystic Fibrosis. Diagnosis and Genetics. Available at: https://www.cff.org/What-is-CF/About-Cystic-Fibrosis/. Accessed September 2018.

SOURCE AbbVie