Abigail was a fifth year student at UVA's Curry School of Education during the 2007-2008 academic year. Reared in Ghana until age 16, she found the U.S. school system a challenge when she arrived in Northern Virginia but she persevered and graduated from high school in two years. With the help of an African American career counselor, she was given information about colleges and enrolled at UVA on a medical career track. In her second year, after hours of volunteer work in the Charlottesville schools, she decided that "If I could begin making a change in the lives of children right now, what was the point of spending years in medical school." Abigail became an AATF Fellow in Fall 2007.

"By May 2008, I will have earned a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Early Childhood and Developmental Risk from The University of Virginia. I will be certified to teach Pre-K- 3 grades or work with children with special needs.

"I just completed my student teaching assignment at Jackson-Via Elementary School. I am currently working as an instructional assistant at Jackson-Via. Having the opportunity to continue to work at the same school where I did student teaching as well as work with three exceptional second grade teachers continues to be an important and valuable experience. I am able to observe their different and unique teaching styles and strategies and learn from it.

"It has also been remarkable seeing how much the students have matured and progressed in their academic and social lives. We are all thrilled with the outcome of our hard work!"