Abby Piegols

I am an AACPS: Alum, Arundel High School

My name is Abby Piegols and while I was a student at Arundel High I was lucky enough to be a part of the Signature Program (a collection of classes and extracurriculars that emphasize global citizenship and community development). Going into high school I didn’t have any real direction in the sense that I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of the experience. I’d always loved the idea of travel and learning about other countries so my 9th grade English teacher, Mrs. Dziedics, suggested I sign up for Signature. The Signature classes pushed me to leave my comfort zone as we had discussions and debates about politics, race, and current events. I’d never really been one for confrontation, but the class taught me that it was important to be involved and instead of being scared of our differences (may they be your beliefs or background) that we can learn from them.

Throughout my time at Arundel I became involved with clubs like Model UN, Kenya venture, Interact, and even our own foreign exchange program. In November of my junior year I was given the opportunity to travel to England with a small group of Signature students and teachers where we shadowed students in local high schools, toured different cities and even met the Lord Mayor of York. Each of us went with a different focus of study ranging from special education to transportation. That had been my first international travel experience and since then I’ve been hooked! Being unsure of what exactly I wanted to do in University I defered for a year and am now halfway through and eleven month long trip around the world. I’ve had so many incredible experiences, met amazing people and learned so much not only about the places around me, but about myself. I’ve had a lot of support from my family and friends, but I know it never would have happened without the background that Arundel’s Signature Program gifted me with and I will be eternally grateful to everyone who was a part of it.