To say that Anaiya Abney ‘21 accomplished a great deal during her four years at Bishop Montgomery would be an understatement. In her time at Bishop, she grew in every way - spiritually, intellectually, physically and socially - because of an inner drive she credits, in part, to her parents. It is no surprise, then, that the awards and recognitions she received recently have started to pile up.
One look at Abney’s list of extracurricular activities she was involved in at Bishop illustrates that she has dedicated herself to being well-rounded. She participated in Bishop’s largest service organization, Concordia Club; was a member of the school’s chapters of National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation; ran on the girls’ track & field team; and served as the ASB Commissioner of Activities. And that is just the start.
In the spring, Abney received one of the most prestigious national awards given to young Americans - Bronze and Silver Congressional Medals from the United States Congress - based on some of her activities and service outside of Bishop. The Congressional Award, a non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive program, honors students for their achievements in four areas: volunteer service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition. In a 12-month period, Abney had to complete over 400 hours of service, development and physical activity in addition to two days of exploration and expedition. It was a daunting task, but Abney took on the challenge willingly. “My primary motivation was not only the Congressional honor,” she says, “but also my desire for personal growth and development.”
For her public service component, Abney had to complete 200 hours of volunteer work that had to be performed without pay, compensation or school credit. Abney focused her time working as a Blood Donor Ambassador for the American Red Cross and serving an active role at the Pregnancy Help Center in Torrance. For her personal development, Abney enrolled in the Elite Educational Institute, a local SAT prep center to improve her test endurance and test scores. For her physical fitness component, Abney competed on the BMHS track team as a sprinter in both the 100 and 200 meters. In these three phases of the award program, Abney completed over 400 hours; she was far from finished.
For the exploration component, Abney was required to complete two days challenging herself through interaction in the wilderness or by immersing herself in an unfamiliar culture. Abney went above and beyond the minimum requirements. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and experience a totally different environment than what I was used to,” she says. “So I spent a week on a farm outside of Dallas.” It was quite the learning experience for Abney.
Each day on the farm was a completely new experience for Abney. She had daily chores - cleaning chicken coops, collecting fresh eggs and feeding the horses - but life on a farm is so unpredictable that things changed on a daily basis. “There are things that I did constantly and daily like feeding livestock, but everything else depends on what needs to be done on the farm that day,” she says. “Living life on a farm really taught me valuable life lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I learned never to say that I could not do something until I tried it. I was also reminded to be extremely thankful and respectful of the opportunities I am afforded.”
In addition to the Congressional Award, Abney was one of Bishop’s valedictorians, graduated Summa Cum Laude, and received the school’s prestigious Knight of the Year Award for her dedication and service to BMHS. And to top it all off, she accepted a merit scholarship to attend USC, where she will major in History with a Pre-Law emphasis. Though she is a very self-motivated young woman, she goes out of her way to point out that her parents are responsible for much of her success. “My parents have been perfect examples of tenacity and drive growing up,” she says. Despite any obstacles, my parents have always made sacrifices to ensure that I had the best opportunities to reach my goals. I truly believe that
without their example and unconditional love and motivation, it would have been harder for me to reach my goals.”
A new set of goals awaits Abney as she prepares for the challenges of college. With the foundation she received from Bishop Montgomery, Abney plans to continue to “face each challenge with the love of my family and with the guidance of God, through whom I can do all things.”