Abby Xie

Junior Abby Xie navigates through high school while finding herself

Sofia Mang, Staff Writer

Junior Abby Xie navigates through high school while finding herself.

Photo courtesy of Abby Xie.

High school is a difficult and confusing time for many- finding out who they are and what they want to be is a challenge for most students. However, there are certain exceptional students, those who have already envisioned what life will hold in store for them. Among them is junior Abby Xie, who is steadfastly working towards a bright future. 

Xie went through the chapters of her life differently than most Northview students. Unlike the majority of Northview, she did not live in the sheltered community of Johns Creek her whole life. Her move to Johns Creek brought a huge change in environment.

“I used to live in Orlando where I saw a really big white population,” Xie said. “So, when I was there, I felt like I really stood out because I was one of the only Asian people.” 

 Xie noted that when she moved to the Johns Creek area, there was an obvious change in the way people treated her. As she felt displaced in Florida, she is glad that there are more people like her in Johns Creek, helping her embrace Asian culture more than she ever could in the past. 

Despite these many changes that Xie experienced growing up, including her “big move”, softball has always been a constant throughout her life. Due to her brother being a baseball player himself, she started playing softball at nine years old. It consumed her time and became a passion of hers when she started playing seriously at age 11. 

 “I would go to weight training lessons, team practice, pitching lessons, and tournaments,” Xie said. “Most of my life was basically softball.” 

One of Northview’s softball coaches, Coach Andrew Alhadeff, also spoke on Xie’s softball skills describing her as not only a good student, but also an adamant player on the field as well. He emphasized how she always did whatever necessary to help her team.  

“As a player, Abby comes in and works hard,” Alhadeff said. “She’s always willing to do what the team needs, if that’s a bunt, if that’s playing a different position, if that’s pitching. She goes out there and does her job and does what’s best for the team.” 

Xie works hard on all aspects of her life, whether it be sports or school. She pours herself into whatever she does, which is one of her greatest strengths. Currently, she is diligently focusing on her academics, aiming to attend Emory University and pursue a career in the math or medical field.  

“I just get really confused by [the business field and physics],” Xie said. “I understand math more than any of my other subjects. I definitely like math more than science and language arts.” 

 Having a specific goal and career plan this early is quite a feat, and it is clear that Xie has her life together already. It has been a little easier for her however since her brother has helped paved the way. Through his own hard work and interest in the medical field, Xie became inspired and her own personal path became clearer. 

“He’s very smart,” Xie said. “He’s at Johns Hopkins. So, I think he set the standard for me.”  

Currently, she is planning to follow in his footsteps and then step out of his shadow in her own way. Though her brother is her inspiration, Xie wishes to pave her own path in life. 

Xie, through her consistent hard work, has proven to be an exceptional student who overcomes obstacles and lives life to the fullest. Although she is still in high school, she resolutely works towards achieving her goals in life and attaining the future she desires. Soon, she will be able to step foot into a world that can handle what she has in store.