Ali Diehl:
Ali Diehl is currently attending Penn State University where she is majoring in plant science and minoring in Arboriculture. After graduation, she plans to work at a greenhouse or a tree company. Ali’s favorite aspect of college life is the wide array of activities her campus offers. She also loves how structured and organized college life is. According to Ali, she didn’t expect college to be so exhausting in both academic and social aspects.
When asked to offer some advice for high school students applying to college, the first thing Ali said was to come in with an open mindset. “Reset your brain for what it might be like in college,” she said. “Don’t compare it to high school,” Ali advised prospective college students not to stress unnecessarily. “Don’t forget to have fun during this process!” She said. Ali also credits Abington’s Advanced Placement classes for preparing her for the rigor of the college curriculum. When looking back on her time in Abington, Ali said that some of her favorite teachers were Dr. Whitman and Dr. Hartwell, praising their “great attitudes and teaching structures.” Abington wishes Ali Diehl the best of luck in all her future endeavors!
Cece Ebora:
Cece Ebora attends Elon University, which is located in North Carolina. She is double-majoring in Political Science and Public Policy with plans to attend law school after graduation. Cece is extremely involved on campus. She is currently acting as a Co-President of APSA (Asian American Pacific-Islander Student Association), Vice President of CKI (Circle K International), a Civic Engagement Ambassador for Elon Votes – a nonpartisan voting organization, and a Research Analyst for the Elon University Center for Design Thinking. Her favorite class at Elon is Introduction to Political Theory, where she studied various works from political philosophers. Cece expressed her joy that she can finally study what she wants in great depth and take advantage of new opportunities. However, one unexpected aspect of college was the importance of reading the assigned literature, especially as a pre-law student. Cece offered some crucial advice for those considering a Political Science major. “You won’t learn anything in class unless you go through the assigned readings,” She said. “Skimming is not an option.” Cece’s advice for students in the midst of college applications is to ask those already in college to read over your Common App essay. “They offer an unbiased perspective on your writing, and can give you helpful feedback,” She said. “Nobody knows how to get through the college application process better than someone actually in college.”
When reflecting on her time in Abington, Cece spoke about how the Advanced Placement Capstone program sparked her love for academia. “I don’t think I would have even considered pursuing undergraduate research if I hadn’t taken these classes,” She added. Cece wishes to thank Mr. Banks and Mr. Pompilii for always supporting her during her time in Abington. Much luck to Cece!
Elijah Bisulca:
Elijah Bisulca is pursuing a major in English at Princeton University. His campus involvement includes a Christian organization, a group for low-income/first-generation students, and intramural soccer- all while juggling a job at one of the Princeton libraries! After graduation, Elijah plans to pursue a teaching certificate program in English.
Elijah said that the best aspect of college was his study-abroad experience where he visited Venice and Japan. “It was a dream come true!” He said. Elijah’s favorite class was glassblowing, which allowed him to travel to Venice. This class allowed him to tour glass-blowing factories in the city. “It was a really unique experience!” Elijah said. However, an unexpected aspect of college was Elijah’s endless to-do list. “Be diligent about where you choose to spend your time.” He advised. “You don’t have as much of a natural divide between school and your outside life, so you might have to intentionally block out time for things that are important to you.”
Elijah reminded college applicants that rejection is inevitable, citing the competitive nature of college admissions. He encouraged students to look at colleges with “need-blind, fully needs met” policies. Despite the competitive acceptance rate for such schools, Elijah said that students are offered greater amounts of financial aid. Elijah is thankful for the classes offered at Abington, saying “Abington classes are way better than you might expect. Some of them have genuinely carried me through classes here in college,” he said. Elijah acknowledged Mrs. Karcher, saying that her calculus class greatly helped him for college-level calculus. He also credited Mrs. Ligi for helping edit his college applications. Much luck and best wishes to Elijah!
Nidhi John:
Nidhi John is attending Northeastern University in Boston where she is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, she plans to work in the aerospace industry. Nidhi is involved in the Product Development Lab (Forge), the Give a Hand Club (a Prosthetic Hand Club), and AerospaceNU –a rocketry club. So far, Nidhi is enjoying her time in college, especially meeting new people and exploring the city of Boston. She wanted to tell college applicants to still apply to the colleges they’re hesitant about. “You never know which one’s the perfect fit right away,” she said. Nidhi also reminded students to ensure that their application showed their personality and highlighted their ambitions. Best of luck in the future, Nidhi, Abington misses you!
Romina Farzaneh:
Romina Farzaneh is currently attending Princeton University where she is majoring in Molecular Biology and minoring in Near Eastern Studies. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school. Romina is a Writing Center Fellow and is a part of several mentoring groups. One of her favorite parts of college is meeting new, inspiring people. However, an aspect she didn’t anticipate was having so much unstructured time. Romina reassured college applicants that the process was not as stressful as they may believe. “It’s never that serious. Try to do well so you can go to school for free!” She said. She also offered students some encouragement. “Do your best, believe, and everything will fall into place!” Romina said. Romina fondly looks back at her time in Abington. “Students really should not take their Abington experiences and opportunities for granted.” She said. Romina offers her gratitude to Abington teachers, especially Mr. Simmons, Frau Eichler, Mr. Jacobs, Mr. Banks, Mr. Fiorino, Mrs. England, Mr. Han, Mr. Spencer, Ms. Lacy, Mr. Vorchheimer, Ms. Kalinowski, Mr. Kusner, Mrs. Ventura, Mr. Tinney, Ms. Corrigan, Mr. Cragle, Mr. Pompilli, Mr. Hunt, Mrs. McCoy. “You teach better than Princeton professors, and I say this very genuinely. Abington students don’t know how lucky they are to have you guys!” She says to the Abington faculty. Best wishes to Romina, Abington misses you!
Sarah Hildebrandt:
Sarah Hildebrandt is studying Nursing at Immaculata University and plans to further her education by becoming a nurse practitioner or a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) after graduation. She is an orientation leader for incoming freshmen, the secretary for her sorority (Omicron Pi Epsilon), a member of the Student Nursing Association, and a mentor for first-year nursing students. Sarah’s favorite class is pathophysiology. The class teaches students about various illnesses and disease pathologies. Sarah said that this class is helping her form an idea of what her future career will entail. Her favorite parts of college are making meaningful friendships living by herself, and being more academically challenged. However, she didn’t quite anticipate how much information she’d have to learn in such a short time. Yet, she takes inspiration from these lessons. “I initially was thrown off by how much I was not aware of about nearly everything, but it’s become a beautiful thing of discovery and embracing the learning curve that college forces upon you.”
Sarah reassured applicants that everything works out the way it’s supposed to be. She credits the Abington curriculum for preparing her for her freshman year of college. Sarah offers her thanks to Mr. Zanetti and Mr. Simmons. Good luck with college, Sarah!
Tess Armon:
Tess Armon is attending Middlebury College in Vermont, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Global Health and Linguistics. Tess’s favorite part of college is being surrounded by beautiful nature. However, an unexpected factor was the distribution of classes, causing Tess to still take STEM classes as a part of her general education requirements. She reminded students to keep an eye on deadlines and wished them luck during this time. “It will all be okay.” She said. Tess said that the Advanced Placement Capstone program left a lasting impact on her, especially Advanced Placement Research. “It boosted my confidence in my own research abilities and allowed me to explore my academic interests.” She commented. Good luck to Tess in the future!
