Cancer Survivor Joshua Cottle Wins 2024 Friedman & Simon Academic Scholarship for Medical Studies

Joshua Cottle, a biology major at the University of Florida, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Friedman & Simon Academic Scholarship. The $1,500 award will support Cottle's pre-med studies as he pursues a career in pediatric oncology, drawing inspiration from his own experience as a cancer survivor.

Cottle's winning essay detailed his battle with large-cell lymphoma, diagnosed during his freshman year of high school. During his treatment, he turned to social media to document his journey, creating videos that he uploaded to YouTube. "Scrolling through the positive comments from both interested people and fellow patients," Cottle wrote, "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."

The scholarship recipient credits his family as an invaluable source of strength throughout his medical journey. His grandfather, who worked his way out of a Puerto Rican slum to become a doctor, served as a particular 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 noted in his application materials.

When Cottle began experiencing symptoms before receiving his diagnosis, his mother encouraged him to continue his coursework, "always assuring me that I would overcome my illness." Upon finally receiving the lymphoma diagnosis, both he and his mother were "speechless" but also "strangely relieved" to finally understand what was wrong and what treatment options were available.

By December 2021, one year after his initial diagnosis, Cottle had made a full recovery and began planning his future. "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 stated in his essay. He is currently a member of his school's Health Science Student Organization and describes his "endeavor, my dream" as using his cancer experience to support other young people facing similar challenges.

The annual scholarship from https://friedmansimon.com recognizes students whose academic achievements, goals, and life experiences reflect the law firm's values of community service and supporting those in need. Cottle's selection highlights the growing recognition of how personal medical experiences can shape compassionate healthcare professionals who bring unique empathy and understanding to patient care.