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NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie, a research and development based global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the launch of the 2017 Thriving Student Scholarship contest and the Blogger's Choice Award. These scholarships will each award a total of $25,000 in scholarship funds to three inspiring students with cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. Today through October 13, 2017, the public is encouraged to cast a vote online or via text message to help determine who will be named this year's Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Students. During this month-long voting period, CF bloggers, selected by AbbVie, will also evaluate these scholars' creative presentations to determine which student will receive the Blogger's Choice Award – an award specially designed to honor the scholarship program's 25th anniversary and to recognize student creativity.

"I was thrilled to learn that I had been named AbbVie's 2016 Thriving Undergraduate Student. It filled me with joy to be recognized this way for all of my hard work," said Grace Knight, 2016 AbbVie CF Scholar and Thriving Undergraduate Student. "The Thriving Student Scholarship significantly eased the stresses that come with pursuing higher education while living with CF, and helped me chase my dream of becoming a lawyer, so I can someday be an advocate for others. I am excited for all of this year's AbbVie CF Scholars, and I wish them all the best as they pursue their dreams and aspirations in the hopes of receiving a Thriving Student Scholarship or the Blogger's Choice Award."

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 2017-2018 academic year based on their academic excellence, creativity and community involvement. These AbbVie CF Scholars now have the opportunity to earn the title of 2017 Thriving Undergraduate or Graduate Student, or Blogger's Choice Award recipient, along with an additional $22,000 in scholarship funding.

"25 years ago, students with CF faced immeasurable challenges fulfilling their goals of achieving higher education," said Jim Hynd, vice president, U.S. Specialty Products, AbbVie. "In honor of the 25th anniversary of AbbVie's CF Scholarship Program, AbbVie is proud to reflect on the accomplishments of this community and the advancements in modern medicine that have made it possible for students with CF to achieve their dreams, both in and out of the classroom."

The Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students will be determined based on a combination of their academics, achievements, essay and creative presentation scores, as well as the number of public votes cast. The Blogger's Choice Award recipient will be determined based on the student (who is not already receiving a Thriving Student Scholarship) whose creative presentation receives the highest cumulative score from the designated CF bloggers. AbbVie will announce the Blogger's Choice Award recipient, and the 2017 Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Students in November. 

The public is encouraged to visit the AbbVie CF Scholarship website, www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com, to view the inspiring accomplishments of this year's AbbVie CF Scholars, and cast a vote for an inspiring student. Votes can be cast on the AbbVie CF Scholarship website or via text message by texting the student's personalized ID code to "23000." During the voting period, the public can show their support for the AbbVie CF Scholars by tweeting the link below.

Click to Tweet: It's the 25th anniversary of the #AbbVieCF Scholarship! Cast your vote to support students with #cysticfibrosis http://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 25 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 nearly $3 million in scholarships to approximately 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 children and adults in the United States. As of 2013, nearly 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-driven 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 @AbbVieUS on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

SOURCE AbbVie