Joshua Cottle, a biology major at the University of Florida, has been named the winner of the 2024 Friedman & Simon Academic Scholarship, a $1,500 award that will support his pre-med studies as he aims to specialize in pediatric oncology. The scholarship, presented annually by Friedman & Simon Injury Lawyers L.L.P., recognizes students whose academic achievements, goals, and life experiences reflect a commitment to giving back to the community.
Cottle's journey to this scholarship began with a harrowing diagnosis of large-cell lymphoma during his freshman year of high school. Initially doubting his ability to recover, he found purpose through social media, documenting his cancer journey on YouTube. In his winning essay, Cottle wrote about the positive feedback he received: "Scrolling through the positive comments from both interested people and fellow patients, I was simultaneously elated by the positivity and made melancholy by the heartfelt comments relating their own experiences to mine. I finally felt a little less alone in my skin." This experience not only helped him cope but also inspired his future career path.
Family played a crucial role in Cottle's recovery. He cites his grandfather, who overcame poverty in a Puerto Rican slum to become a doctor, as his biggest inspiration. "He didn't let his life experiences or the cards he was dealt when he was born hinder him from achieving his goals," Cottle said. His mother also provided unwavering support, encouraging him to continue his coursework despite his illness. When they finally received a diagnosis, both were "strangely relieved" to know what they were up against.
After making a full recovery by December 2021, Cottle began focusing on his future. He is already a member of his school's Health Science Student Organization and aspires to use his own experience with cancer to help other young patients. "I have come to realize that there is no greater joy for me than to inspire hope in others in the most despairing of situations," he wrote. His ultimate goal is to "give of myself unto others who are going through something similar; to be the light in their life."
The Friedman & Simon Academic Scholarship is awarded each year to a student whose life and goals align with the firm's values of community service and supporting those in need. Cottle's story exemplifies these values, turning a personal struggle into a mission to heal others.
