Abby Lam dances all the way to the top

Senior Abby Lam is highly involved in many different extracurriculars at Tigard, including IB  classes, eight clubs, being the captain of the  Tigerettes, being the yearbook editor-in-chief, and to top it all off, piano. Many students and fellow dancers look up to her because of her dedication.

Lam’s work ethic and devotion impresses many people here at Tigard High. Last year, she took multiple IB classes that gave her college credits.

“Abby does such a good job keeping up with her classes, I almost never hear her complaining about being behind,” freshman Ashlyn Miller said.

“This year I’m taking PSU calculus, economics, yearbook, web design, IB History of the Americas, Anatomy and Physiology and Government,” Lam said. Taking a math class in senior year is not necessary, but Abby chose to go above and beyond by taking calculus. “Abby doesn’t stay still for long, going from place to place to different activities but I would say her study room. She will always dedicate and prioritize school work no matter how busy she is or how long it takes,” Abby’s mother Jennifer Lam explained.

At the beginning of every year, there is a club rush that gives students the opportunity to learn about new clubs and join ones that sound interesting to them. It offers the clubs a way to advertise themselves for new potential recruits. “I am only in two clubs and Abby is the president of both; I have no idea how she does it,” Miller said. Lam is the club president of Key Club, SPARROW, and the Science National Honors Society, and she is the secretary of National Honor Society. She is also a member of SHH, Astronomy Club, GEM, and SPEAK. “Honestly, I haven’t had to drop anything… even though doing all these activities, along with the other activities that come up along the way, is extremely time consuming, I love doing everything I do. I believe that high school is the time to try everything, and that’s exactly what I did. The only problem is I ended up loving everything, so I had to make time for it all,” Lam explained.  

When Lam does something, she gives it her best effort. “Abby is one of the most hardworking people I know. She wakes up every morning, before the sun is even out, for club meetings, field practices, and volunteering. Then, she goes to school. Usually she has some sort of activity after school, whether it is volunteering, officer meetings, tutoring people, and of course dance practice. When she gets home after practice around 9, she then starts her homework, often staying up to at least 1 a.m. to complete everything,” Jennifer said.

Not only is Abby excelling in her classes and extracurriculars, but she is also the captain of the varsity dance team, the Tigerettes. “Abby’s biggest commitment is Tigerettes. She spends countless hours with the team, and when she is not with the team, she is constantly talking or planning or practicing something Tigerette-related. She has truly dedicated herself to dance and the Tigerettes, and loves it more than anything,” Jennifer Lam said.

This year, the team is going to Nationals and State, so not only does she have to prepare herself, but as a captain she is committed to making sure her team is prepared to do their best. “My teammates and coaches inspire me to be a better person, to work hard, and never give up. I could not imagine my life without dance,” Lam said. The Tigerettes practice anywhere from 6-10 hours a week, and given the busy schedule she already has, then she has to put the team as one of her top priorities, her team comes up as one of her number one priorities. “I couldn’t survive without the support of my family, teammates, and coaches,” she said.

Besides her extracurricular activities, being a senior guarantees that she has to spend time researching colleges. She has applied to many colleges wanting to pursue a career path geared towards engineering. “Senior year is absolutely crazy. Trying to juggle everything I do, with college applications, scholarships, studying for ACT/SAT, along with all my other activities and of course doing all my homework. Seven out of seven days a week, I’ll be running on four to five hours of sleep and, of course, a cup of coffee in my hand,” Lam said. “What makes Abby unique is her determination and drive. Even when she is extremely busy with her school work, she makes time for things like volunteering, practicing routines, practicing piano, etc. If she sets her mind to something, she will go above and beyond to complete it and do it well,” Jennifer Lam said.

Lam is able to complete all of these tasks while keeping a positive attitude and inspiring others around her. She is committed to bettering her future and doing something that she is interested in. She takes advantages of all of the opportunities that high school offers her and highly excels in them. Her family and friends offer her an amazing support system while she continues to stay engaged in her plethora of activities.