Junior Abigail Bell conducts during the halftime show at the Borger vs. Canyon game. Bell became the class of 2022 valedictorian following her 8th grade year. “School has always been an important aspect of my life, but it’s not the only part,” Bell said. “Taking care of yourself, having friends and being involved is just as important as having high grades. It can be difficult to balance all of this, but it is worth it.”
Abigail Bell
What is it like to be the valedictorian?
School has always been an important part of my life. I want to go to college and do well in the world, and I know school is the way to get there. Within my family, both my parents went to college, so it’s expected that I will go to college. I try to be valedictorian in order to get good scholarships. I want to get my money’s worth out of my education.
How do you manage stress?
It can be stressful and emotionally draining. You have to be willing and prepared to give up some aspects of your life in order to be within the top percentile. It’s important to also take a step back and focus on my mental health. For me, self care involves putting aside my homework for a couple of hours and talking to friends, reading or just relaxing on my own. It’s more important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself than it is to get good grades. We all need time to recharge so that we are mentally able to go back to school with a mindset of determination
How do you manage your time between school, extracurriculars and social life?
It is difficult to balance my school life with my personal life and my extracurricular activities. I have to prioritize and stick to my schedule. Since I am a drum major, I have to make sure I’m taking care of my responsibilities for that. There are people depending on me and I have to prioritize my commitments to other people.
How do you study?
I use Quizlet a lot. I run over things through my head repetitively. I try to repeat the information that I’ve learned throughout the school day so it’s not too much at home. I can be intrinsically getting that information into my head while I’m at school. Utilizing my time is a big part of studying. Everyday, I have several hours of homework, and I have projects that are due every week. And when I do need to study I do so.