Meet Our Scholars
Meet our 2011-2012 ABC Scholars.
Class of 2015
Fatouma Kone, Harlem, New York
Fatouma has joined ABC after attending a small Catholic School and living in a large, close family, so living with a group of girls and sharing bathrooms and living space was not a shock. But that is where the similarity with her previous life ends, says Fatouma. AHS is is definitely a culture shock, she admits, with big classes “where the responsibility is on the student to seek help and get noticed.” The suburban experience is also a big change. “In my neighborhood, you know everybody and everybody knows you.” she explains. Fatouma has already made one good connection, spending time with a Muslim exchange student with whom she has been able to share experiences.
Fatouma has her sites set on basketball at AHS, and hopes to play for one of the school’s many competitive teams--Freshman, JV or Varsity. “The competition is very tough. Kids have been paling since they were five years old,” she notes. She is planning a rigorous regime of running and practice to try and get up to speed. Fatouma would also like to get involved in the Andover Youth Services, specifically the Green Team, which tackles residential and commercial projects, landscaping to painting and provides great employment and leadership experience.
As for future plans, coming to ABC is a first step into a future in pediatric medicine, which reflects her love of kids. She is also interested in law. “I’d like to go to Harvard, or one of the best law schools,” states Fatouma, with a quiet determination and a fierce twinkle in her eye that leave little doubt of her ability to achieve her goals.
Ariel Leachman, Bronx, New York
Ariel was born and raised in the Bronx, in the shadow of Coop city, and most recently attended a small public school connected to Truman High School. One of the pleasant surprises of her short ABC experience has been the number of people who are eager to help her if she needs it. She came to ABC to help prepare herself for the rigorous academic journey necessary to fulfill her dream of working in pediatric medicine or law. Her dream was inspired by her god sister, who is currently in her residency in Pediatric Medicine As for law, Ariel says, “I like proving points!”
She has been surprised by just how big AHS is, and by the number of students per class, which is a change from her previous school. “You don’t get the individual attention; now its really up to me to get help.” But, she confirms, she feels like she knows how to do this.
Ariel is interested in community service, particularly service with kids, which would build on her past experience in which she tutored and ran arts and crafts programs in an after school program at her church. “For some reason I like to help people,” she says.
As for New England, she is amazed at how historic, even old fashioned, everything seems. “Even the railroad tracks,” she points out, “ they are set into a street where cars and people can just walk over them. In New York, you’d never be able to get near the subway train tracks!”
Xonatia Lee Brooklyn, New York
Xonatia comes to Andover ABC with a diverse set of career goals: she is very interested in forensic science and crime solving, but on the other hand, she would love to be a professional ballet dancer. Xonatia was born in Jamaica, and moved to Brooklyn when she was six. Now in Andover, she has wasted no time getting involved, having joined the cross country team to build on the running skills she developed on the track team at her previous school. “The first day I was really sore, “ she exclaims, noting that cross country is different beast than track. “It’s really tiring.” She plans to add ballet classes to her schedule and would also like to become involved in the video and film production at the school, noting, “I walked into the AHS video production studio and thought, this is something I want to do.” She also contemplated trying out for the swim team, having swam for her local YMCA. After watching everyone do a stroke she didn’t know (the Butterfly) she realized she may have to get up to speed first.
Xonatia says that at ABC she has found “an environment where everyone is really nice, and willing to help,” but also a school that is large and fast paced. She says it has been challenging to find the time to make new connections and friends. Given her many interests and outgoing nature, it doesn’t seem that that will be challenge for long.
CLASS OF 2013
Felicitas Reyes, Anaheim, CA
Felicia has the distinction of being the first of the Andover ABC scholars to come from California. Felicia, however, is a risk taker, willing to put in the miles to achieve her goals. She was valedictorian of her 8th grade class and gave the speech at her graduation, during which she told her peers that they could all accomplish what they wanted; that it was "not where you come from, but rather where you are going." And indeed, Felicia is a girl on the go. She is a member of the crew team at AHS and also enjoys dance, writing and reading. During the 2010-2011 school year Felicia rowed for the Varsity crew team at the Greater Lawrence Rowing and volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence all the while maintaining an impressive GPA.
She describes herself as kind-hearted, sweet and innocent even though she hails from an area where toughness is considered a virtue. She also considers herself smart and hopes that during her time at Andover High School she will build a reputation as a well- rounded person--one who participates in sports and clubs as well as excelling in academics.
CLASS OF 2012
Abigail Awodele, Bridgeport, Ct
Abigail's family is originally from Nigeria, and she came to the U.S. in 2004 along with her parents and five older brothers. She went to school at the Park City Charter School, which she describes as difficult at first because she was so new and shy. Back then Science was her most challenging subject because she had never had a science class before. Her older brothers were very successful academically, however, and were very supportive and helped her whenever she didn't understand something. Abigail is very proud that she has never received a bad grade. She was also pleased that her teachers were wonderful and other students were very good to her.
Abbi loves to sing and was a long time member of the Fairfield County Children's Choir. Although she had planned to sing with them until she went to college, she was willing to give up that goal in order to come to Andover. Abbi notes that she has an unusual vocal range--from high soprano to low baritone. Not surprisingly, Abigail jumped into activities at the high school, participating in the AHS Choir
, the AHS Debate club
, and the AHS Drama club in which she appeared in RENT.
Abigail loves to debate and to speak her mind. She plans on becoming a cardiologist and to help people in Africa by speaking out about the needs she sees there and how we can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.
Jazzare Mays, New Haven, Ct.
Jazzare is the youngest of six girls, so living in an all girl dorm is familiar terrain! Although it was hard to leave her family, one of her sisters helped pave the way by being an ABC scholar in Worcester, MA. Jazzare chose to come to Andover ABC because she loved the Andover environment and the people she met when she came for an interview.
In middle school Jazzare excelled in Math and was accepted into the Johns Hopkins Summer Enrichment Program for Gifted Students, a three week "camp" program. Jazzare has attended for two years, studying both Math and Engineering.
Jazzare also loves dance and has taken lessons in jazz, modern and hip-hop. finally, as a member of her middle school orchestra, she played viola, which she has since given up in order to explore new interests here in Andover. True to her word, Jazzare joined the AHS Marching Band Color Guard, took Hip Hop dance classes at Paige Conservatory and volunteered after school at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence.
Monique Lopez Espinoza, Garden Grove, CA (bottom row left)
As a junior hailing from the California town of Garden Grove, Monique is accustomed to being far away from home. Before she arrived in Andover at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, she had been an ABC scholar in a program in Minnesota, which unfortunately closed. Monique fearlessly joined the Andover program, noting that it was not a big leap for her to come to a different ABC, nor was she nervous about coming to the East Coast.
Monique enjoyed many activities at her previous high school including sewing, cooking and photography, as well as intramural beach volleyball (beach volleyball in Minnesota--does it get any better than that?) At Andover High School she has joined the Novice crew team at the Greater Lawrence Rowing and volunteered at the MSPCA.
In her free time she writes poetry and short stories, reads and paints. She also plays flag football and volleyball. Monique's goal is to do very well academically so that she can get into a highly selective college. She would like to pursue both psychology and teaching degrees.
