![\"DWSA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AbigailStephens.jpg\")
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Abigal Stephens<\/p>\n
For Abigail Stephens, graduating as valedictorian of the Denzel Washington School of the Arts is the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance and support from the people who helped shape her path to an Ivy League university.<\/p>\n
\u201cI live with my mom, and she\u2019s been a single mother my whole entire life,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cShe\u2019s raised me. She\u2019s provided everything for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
That example of resilience helped guide Abigail through the challenges of high school and toward an extraordinary future. This fall, she will attend the University of Pennsylvania, where she plans to major in biology on a pre-med track with the goal of becoming a physician.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be a dermatologist, to be specific, but I\u2019m open to learning new medical fields and different pathways,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her interest in medicine began at home while mother worked as a phlebotomist, exposing Abigail to healthcare from an early age.<\/p>\n
Personal experiences also played a role.<\/p>\n
Interest in dermatology is personal<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up with acne and skin issues, I\u2019ve always been attracted to skin,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cMy dermatologist changed my life, and I want to be able to help other people feel confident in their skin because I know how it feels to not be so confident.\u201d<\/p>\n
She already has experience serving others. Abigail volunteered at White Plains Hospital as a Creative Hearts cart volunteer, delivering puzzles, cards and other items to patients and staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would make me happy to see a smile on their face when I came by,\u201d she said. \u201cI was able to talk to patients and just tell them that hopefully they get better and feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
She has also volunteered at the Westchester Jewish Community Services group home in Eastchester and spent the past two Thanksgivings helping prepare meals at the Greater Centennial AME Church soup kitchen in Mount Vernon.<\/p>\n
Abigail\u2019s path to Penn came as a surprise even to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cOriginally, that wasn\u2019t my original plan when I applied,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I was going to get in.\u201d<\/p>\n
She had planned to attend Delaware State University on a full scholarship before receiving her acceptance letter from Penn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got the acceptance to UPenn, I was like, \u2018Wow, I don\u2019t think I could pass this up!\u2019\u201d she said, chuckling.<\/p>\n
At DWSA, Abigail balanced a demanding academic schedule that included AP African American Studies, AP Calculus, AP Government and Politics, and AP Art and Design. She also immersed herself in the school\u2019s creative culture as a visual arts major.<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019re kooky, we\u2019re goofy, we\u2019re loud\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Denzel experience has been super fun,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re all art students and theater kids. We\u2019re kooky, we\u2019re goofy, we\u2019re loud, we\u2019re funny. Being in a space where I could just be myself and not worry about people judging me has been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She credits several teachers with helping her thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve created a lot of meaningful relationships with my teachers here,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cThey noticed my potential and they\u2019ve always been a safe space I could come to if I wanted to talk about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among those she highlighted were chemistry teacher Dr. Stacie Deyglio and English and African American Studies teacher Raven Keys.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just pour so much life into me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Abigail also received guidance from various mentors, including school counselor Nikia Jones.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love everyone in my support system,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d be the person I am without them.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the most meaningful parts of Abigail\u2019s high school experience has been sharing it with her best friend, Sydney Whitaker, the school\u2019s salutatorian. The two both attended Traphagen School before moving to Denzel.<\/p>\n
Salutatorian is her best friend<\/p>\n
\u201cSydney\u2019s my best friend,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cWe\u2019ve known each other since the third grade, and we just stuck together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their friendship came with a healthy dose of academic competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe kept me on my toes all four years,\u201d Abigail said with a laugh. \u201cIt would be like, \u2018What did you get on the test?\u2019 And I\u2019d be like, \u2018Oh, I got this,\u2019 and she\u2019d be like, \u2018I got a 100,\u2019 and I\u2019d be like, \u2018Dang!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
But the competition was always rooted in friendship and mutual respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll love to her,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cI wish her all the best. I know she\u2019ll be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Principal Andrea Thomas informed Abigail that she was valedictorian, she was stunned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was shocked because it was always between me and Sydney,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m just glad I was able to do it with her. It\u2019s my best friend. We get to receive all the glory together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite her academic success, Abigail\u2019s journey was not without obstacles. She has battled anxiety throughout high school, particularly when it came to testing.<\/p>\n
Lifelong struggle with anxiety<\/p>\n
\u201cI do have a lot of test anxiety, and I get overwhelmed very easily,\u201d she said, adding that rather than allowing anxiety to define her, she learned how to manage it through faith, prayer and perseverance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I feel anxiety, I take a step back,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cI pray and ask God to give me guidance because I can\u2019t do it without Him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Faith also plays a central role in her life. Abigail is the head captain of her church\u2019s Praise Dance team and helps teach and choreograph performances for younger members.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always talk to God,\u201d she said. \u201cI pray before I go to sleep. I pray before a test. Praise dancing has connected me and drawn me closer to God.\u201d<\/p>\n
That faith also inspired her college essay, which compared overcoming anxiety to navigating turbulence on an airplane. \u201cYou have to go through turbulence to get to your destination sometimes,\u201d she said about the metaphor.<\/p>\n
Looking back, Abigail sees her achievements as proof that challenges can be overcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely makes me feel confident,\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes me feel like I\u2019m ready for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
A long-term vision in Mount Vernon<\/p>\n
As she prepares for the next chapter, Abigail hopes to eventually return the support she has received.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely want to be a mentor,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to give back to people who were in my shoes before.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also hopes to one day bring her medical expertise back to the city she loves.<\/p>\n
\u201cMount Vernon is my home,\u201d Abigail said. \u201cThe people here are amazing. I definitely belong here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her long-term vision includes opening her own medical practice and serving the community that helped shape her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve gotten a lot from the people who\u2019ve poured into me,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like I should pour back out.\u201d<\/p>\n
For younger students following in her footsteps, Abigail offers simple but powerful advice:<\/p>\n
\u201cEnjoy your life. School is very important, but do things that you enjoy. Stay focused, stay dedicated and believe in yourself. Don\u2019t ever doubt yourself because you never know what you\u2019re capable of. You never know what door is going to open for you.\u201d
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