2024-25 Arthritis Champions Scholarship Winners

Aug. 29, 2024
 
The Arthritis Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024-25 Arthritis Champions Scholarship winners. These 20 college students living with arthritis demonstrate the spirit of Yes as well as a commitment to helping others.

Ethan A., Texas: At age 6, Ethan was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and eosinophilic esophagitis. He volunteers regularly for Kayla Cares 4 Kids, National Organization for Rare Disorders, American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders and the Arthritis Foundation, which recognized him as their Young Adult Honoree for the 2024 Dallas Walk to Cure Arthritis. Ethan has earned the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award from the White House four years in a row for his efforts, which have included speaking on Capitol Hill to help secure millions of dollars of funding for arthritis research. Ethan entered his freshman year at the University of Missouri, majoring in sports journalism.

Ethan was selected as the 2024-25 Arthritis Champions Scholarship recipient of the Ann M. Palmer Award, named in honor of the Arthritis Foundation’s president and CEO from 2013 to 2022. Ann had a strong affinity for juvenile arthritis (JA) families and the Foundation’s initiatives on their behalf. In conferring this legacy award, we recognize and honor leaders, like Ms. Palmer, who have made a great impact and inspired a new generation of leaders for our patient community.

The Ann M. Palmer Award is given to an Arthritis Champions Scholarship recipient who scored the highest points for the essay describing their service and the impact they’ve had benefiting the Arthritis Foundation and/or arthritis community. 


Andrew R., Arizona: Andrew is an elite teen athlete with ankylosing spondylitis. He plays college lacrosse for Salisbury University in Maryland, where he is pursuing a degree in business. Andrew has been involved in various Arthritis Foundation events and opportunities, including Walk to Cure Arthritis and Jingle Bell Run, as well as advocacy and other volunteer work. He plans to continue his volunteer work for the arthritis community in college and beyond.


Asad K., New Jersey: Asad was diagnosed with juvenile spondyloarthritis at 9 years old. Over the years, Asad has been featured in two podcasts, participated in multiple research studies and shared his story in the Spondylitis Plus magazine. He has been involved in the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk to Cure Arthritis in West Orange, New Jersey, for the past two years. This year, he was selected as the Walk's teen honoree. Asad entered the College of New Jersey as a freshman this fall and is studying biological sciences. An aspiring physician, Asad hopes to contribute to medical research and advocacy, aiming to improve the lives of others with similar health journeys.


Ava H., Michigan: Ava was diagnosed in 2020 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in her knee and ankle joints. She has met so many wonderful people through the Arthritis Foundation who have helped on her journey. Ava has participated in Jingle Bell Run and was a youth honoree for Walk to Cure Arthritis. Ava entered Notre Dame this fall as a freshman with plans to study chemical engineering.


Beatrice (Bede) M., Maryland: Bede is a junior at Northeastern University, currently a public health major, with minors in business administration and law and public policy. Bede hopes to go into disability legislation and policy, as her disease helped her realize how hard it is for those with arthritis to navigate society. This past summer she was an intern at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to further her knowledge and understanding of public health.
 

Bryce S., Ohio: Bryce has been living with juvenile arthritis since she was 15 months old, which was accompanied by uveitis and other eye disorders. Over the years, she and her family have participated in numerous Arthritis Foundation events and opportunities. Bryce is working toward her bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Alabama, and then aims to earn her master’s in public administration. She wants to be on the front lines of improving the nation’s educational system.
 

Caitlin R., California: Diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis at the age of 3, Caitlin and her family became involved with the Arthritis Foundation soon after that. Despite her disease severity and total hip replacements at the ages of 11 and 12, she participated in Walk to Cure Arthritis, JA camp, Arthritis Foundation galas, the JA Family Summit and Advocacy Summit over the years in an effort to change the future for kids with arthritis. Caitlin is pursuing her doctor of occupational therapy degree and hopes to work in pediatrics when she graduates. She uses her history with arthritis to bring a well-rounded, patient-centered approach to all her patients. She hopes to improve their lives with occupational therapy in the ways that it changed hers.


Chloe K., Texas: After being diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 6, Chloe’s high-energy lifestyle took a complete turn. With the community the Arthritis Foundation provided, she was able to find compassion and joy through the help of others, and she was inspired to help others in the same way. Chloe has raised thousands of dollars, volunteered at Arthritis Foundation events and advocated in her community since her diagnosis. Chloe attends the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in health and society. She plans on continuing to advocate for children with invisible illnesses in and out of the Arthritis Foundation in her future career.


Erin E., Connecticut: Erin was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 11. When she was first diagnosed, her entire family became very involved with the Arthritis Foundation to help understand her new life. Erin has participated in Jingle Bell Run events for over 10 years, participated in the Arthritis Foundation’s Advocacy Summit, several galas and attended JA camp. Erin is grateful for the education, connections and community the Arthritis Foundation has provided her and is grateful for this scholarship to pursue her education in teaching math.


Jacey J., Massachusetts: Jacey was diagnosed at 9 years old with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and became increasingly involved with the Arthritis Foundation through Walk to Cure Arthritis, Jingle Bell Run and JA camp. In 2022 and 2023, Jacey was the co-lead for the high school planning committee for the JA Family Summit, and she received the Arthritis Foundation’s Dawn Hafeli Award for Youth Leadership last year. Thanks to her experiences and support through the Arthritis Foundation, she has gained leadership, advocacy experience and many new friendships. Jacey entered her freshman year at the University of New Hampshire and plans to study communication sciences and disorders on the path to becoming a speech language pathologist.


Katelyn M., Iowa: Katelyn is pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Montana. She aims to use their lived experience with arthritis to increase awareness of and interventions for the social and emotional needs of youth with juvenile arthritis. Katelyn looks forward to serving as the mental health director at JA camp in the summers and conducting research year-round.


Liaidan D., Massachusetts: Liaidan was diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis with systemic features at age 10. After her diagnosis, she began volunteering with the Arthritis Foundation and Boston Children’s Hospital teen advisory committee. Through these involvements, she learned about the urgent need to bridge the rheumatology care gap. As a future nurse practitioner, she wants to work in a clinical setting where she can provide direct care to pediatric rheumatology patients. Liaidan is currently studying nursing at the University of South Carolina and plans to earn her doctor of nursing practice.
 
Mariah T., Ohio: At 9 years old, Mariah became immobile as her joints began to swell. She was soon diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Mariah refused to allow this disease to stop her from being outgoing, so she started getting involved in events and associations related to arthritis. She volunteered at Jingle Bell Run events for numerous years, made infusion bags for JA patients and shared her story at the JA Family Summit. Mariah wants other kids facing this disease to know that arthritis does not define who you are; it is a mere obstacle you must overcome. Mariah is studying at Ohio State University.


Natalie T., Georgia: Natalie was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 22. She became involved with the Arthritis Foundation in search of support and community after her diagnosis left her feeling as though her goal of pursuing medicine was now impossible. Natalie has since been dedicated to Jingle Bell Run and Walk to Cure Arthritis events and was named the 2023 adult honoree for the Atlanta Walk to Cure Arthritis. She just entered her first year of medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine.
 

Quinn W., Ohio: Diagnosed at age 2 with juvenile arthritis and later with hip dysplasia, Quinn enjoys volunteering at Walk to Cure Arthritis and Jingle Bell Run events and as a camp counselor for the JA camp. Currently, Quinn is a pre-medical student majoring in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University and is a member of the rowing team. She hopes to enter the medical field as a clinician to help impact patients and the scientific battle against arthritis.
 

Rhiannon C., California: Rhiannon has been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis for 20 years and has found friendship and understanding through numerous Arthritis Foundation events and opportunities, including the JA Family Summit, gaining public speaking and advocacy skills along the way. Majoring in theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, her dream job is to be a stage manager for live shows. Rhiannon takes pride in the positive effect she’s had on young people with arthritis.


Sarah C., Florida: Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at 14, Sarah has had days full of joint pain and fatigue, but many positive days, too. She attended her first JA Family Summit, where she first felt support talking to other teens with JA, and she made lifelong friends. Since then, she has stayed committed to giving back by fundraising, volunteering at events and serving as the local young adult honoree for her local Jingle Bell Run in 2024. Sarah is a biochemistry/molecular biology major at Rollins College and plans to pursue graduate school in chemistry to work in medical research.
 

Sarah R., Indiana: Sarah was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at 22 months old and has uveitis and hypermobility. She tries to be an active member in the JA community by participating in summer camps for kids with rheumatic diseases, having a team annually for Walk to Cure Arthritis and advocating consistently. Sarah attends Purdue University’s first year engineering program with the hopes of studying mechanical engineering.


Taylor L., Ohio: Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 6, Taylor’s condition affected every major joint in her body. But her extensive community involvement as a dedicated Arthritis Foundation volunteer has empowered her to navigate the disease’s many challenges. Taylor is enrolled at Cleveland State University, emphasizing her passions for English and business. She plans to pursue law in graduate school.


Taylor V., South Dakota: When he was 9 years old, four words changed Taylor’s life: polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. He learned from his parents to not give up when faced with adversity but to meet it head-on. Taylor now serves on the South Dakota local leadership board, is chair of the Sioux Falls Jingle Bell Run and remains active in nearly every Arthritis Foundation event in the area. Taylor is double majoring in political science and economics at the University of South Dakota.

The 2025-26 Arthritis Champions Scholarships application process will open in early January 2025. This program is generously funded by the Walter J. and Kathryn M. Winterhoff Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Dr. Smriti Bardhan College Scholarship Fund.