Voting for MC Doctoral Student Brad Johns Starts August 13

Brad Johns

Supporters of Mississippi College doctoral student Brad Johns have a little longer before casting their votes in a nationwide contest.

Voting for the 2012 CFCareForward Scholarship program will now begin on Monday August 13 and close on Tuesday September 11.

Votes cast for Johns will improve his chances of winning a $20,000 scholarship to help pay for his doctorate in education.

The funds would come from Abbott Pharmaceuticals. The 40-year-old math teacher at McLaurin High near Florence received a $2,500 academic scholarship from the company, but is eligible to receive $17,500 more if he wins the national contest.

Since 1993, Abbott Pharmaceuticals has donated more than $2.2 million in scholarships to Cystic Fibrosis families through its CF Carefund.

A Magee resident, the Mississippi College graduate has waged a courageous battle with Cystic Fibrosis since childhood. Usually, cystic fibrosis causes problems with both the respiratory and digestive systems and most people are diagnosed with the disease before they are one-year-old. Soon after birth, John became very sick with the disease.

This year’s 20^th anniversary of the Cystic Fibrosis scholarships has caused the company to step up its donations to USA undergraduates and graduate students.

Earlier, company officials said the voting would begin in late July.

In February, Johns received the national Heroes of Hope Living with Cystic Fibrosis award. He’s among 40 scholarship recipients being judged on their academic records, service to the community, extracurricular activities, creative presentation and essays. The votes count for 30 percent of the score in the national contest.

On his way to classes at the School of Education on Monday, Johns says he’s seeking votes from family members, supporters at the Rankin County School District, Mississippi College, friends and others familiar with his story. A number of Jackson TV and radio stations and newspapers in the area and in his hometown of Magee are plugging his campaign.

For more information on voting for Brad Johns, visit www.CFCareForwardScholarship.com.