Freshman Abigail Bixler

How a Student is Overcoming Adversity to Challenge Herself in School.

Kate Biesmeyer|November 9, 2022

    While artfully crafting notes for her AP Human Geography assignment, freshman Abigail Bixler feels the warm fur of her fluffy companion, warning her that there may be a spike in her blood sugar. Bixler decides it may be time to take a walk around her neighborhood with her friendly labrador to help combat the spike in her blood sugar. 

Freshman Abigail Bixler focuses on her AP Human Geography homework in flex as she takes on the class. After finding herself bored in many regular classes, Bixler took many recommendations from teachers about taking AP classes.”She is very studious and she is always on top of work,” Mrs. Brooks said.

  Pulling out her AP textbook to check over her notes again, before preparing for a difficult test. Bixler takes two AP classes and uses a service dog. A fluffy friend named Flynn, who alerts her when she has high blood sugar. 

   Bixler was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago as of January 8th this year. Her service dog accompanies her almost everywhere. 

“He doesn’t come to school yet. You’ll probably see him at  football games and other school events.” Bixler said, “he’s going to begin coming full-time with me and junior and senior year,” Bixler said. 

   One of her friends,  freshman Jillian VanYperen, who Bixler has known through elementary school, has known Bixler through complications of diabetes. 

Freshman Abigail Bixler shows her Diabetes monitor which helps make sure her blood levels are steady throughout the day, so she can focus on school. Over the years Bixler has learned how to manage both school and her health issues. “Generally I have my dexcom that reads my blood sugar and sends it to my phone, and my insulin pump,” Bixler said.

   “I‘ve known her since third grade,” VanYperen said. “ We were in the nurse’s office when we met and in the same fourth-grade class.” 

   Transitioning into High School, Bixler has never stopped challenging herself and continues by taking AP courses as a freshman. Being new in high school can be difficult, especially with the stresses of finding her classes and keeping up with others. Bixler takes both AP Human Geography and Pre-AP English which are the only two AP Classes that freshmen may take, and Bixler takes both. Next years sophmores can take plenty of other AP classes including AP World History, AP Physics, and so many others. 

   “I  wanted to get them done sooner,” Bixler said. “Also because I find myself getting bored in regular classes.”

    Bixler and VanYperen share both AP classes, they both  have Mr. Griffis for AP human geography and Ms. Brooks for my pre-AP English.

   Maggie Brooks is Bixlers Pre-AP ELA teacher. In this course, they’ve been going over plot development and 

    “She’s very studious,” Brooks said, “She’s always on top of work.” 

She’s always on top of work,” said Maggie Brooks

Being on top of work is very important for any advanced student, especially when one’s a freshman.

   Balancing school life and social life is important for any student, Bixler finds plenty of time for friendship in her schedule. 

   “At her most recent birthday party, we went roller skating, after we went back to her house and played with her dogs,” VanYperen said. 

   “She loves reading, I  think she’s on book seven out of the two books we’re supposed to read this semester.”  Brooks said. 

   All together, Bixler prioritizes her social, medical and academic life while being in and out of school, with having a service dog, Diabetes, participating in AP classes and keeping up with friends. 

To learn more about diabetes, go to https://diabetes.org/

To learn more about service dogs and what they do go to AKC.org