Joshua Cottle, a biology major at the University of Florida, has been awarded the 2024 Friedman & Simon Academic Scholarship, a $1,500 award supporting his pre-med track with aspirations to specialize in pediatric oncology. The scholarship recognizes Cottle's academic achievements and personal journey, which includes overcoming large-cell lymphoma diagnosed during his freshman year of high school. In his winning essay, Cottle detailed his harrowing cancer battle and how documenting his experience on YouTube provided purpose and connection during his treatment.
Cottle wrote about the impact of sharing his story online, stating that reading positive comments from both interested people and fellow patients made him feel less alone during his ordeal. He credited his family as an invaluable source of strength throughout his illness, particularly his mother who encouraged him to continue his coursework despite his condition, and his grandfather who inspired him by working his way out of a Puerto Rican slum to become a doctor. After making a full recovery by December 2021, Cottle began focusing on his future, realizing that inspiring hope in others during difficult situations brings him great joy.
The student is already involved with his school's Health Science Student Organization and describes his ultimate goal as using his personal experience with cancer to support other young people facing similar medical challenges. The Friedman & Simon Academic Scholarship, presented annually by Friedman & Simon Injury Lawyers L.L.P., recognizes students whose academic achievements and life experiences reflect the law firm's values of community commitment and supporting others in need. Cottle's selection demonstrates how personal resilience and the ability to transform adversity into motivation can create meaningful pathways toward helping others, particularly in the medical field where firsthand experience with illness can inform compassionate care.
This scholarship award matters because it highlights the growing recognition that non-traditional experiences and personal challenges can be valuable assets in academic and professional pursuits, especially in healthcare fields where empathy and understanding are crucial. Cottle's journey from cancer patient to pre-med student illustrates how personal health struggles can shape career aspirations and create unique perspectives that benefit future patients. The scholarship supports not only academic achievement but also the application of lived experience to future medical practice, potentially influencing how healthcare professionals are selected and trained to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of illness alongside physical treatment.
