All About Me

   Hello! My name is Gabriell Johnson, but most people know me by my nickname, Gabby. Something important to know about me is that although I was born in Monroe, NC, I spent most of my childhood and adolescence in a small town called Thomasville, just north of here. It was in Thomasville that I attended kindergarten through middle school, all while staying in the same school system. Nevertheless, academics have always been important to me, and even with changing schools and facing other obstacles in life, I have learned from these experiences and allowed them to encourage growth and improvement within my life.
  The summer before my first year of high school, my family moved back to Monroe to be closer to my mom's relatives. Initially, I was so excited to move and live in a new place. However, as the summer turned to fall and my first year of high school drew near, I soon became terrified of starting my first year at a new school with people I had never met. 
  When I first came to Monroe, I hoped to join the early college program; however, because we moved late in the summer, I missed the opportunity to apply as an incoming freshman. A change in districting lines also meant I could not attend my mother's alma mater Parkwood High School. Instead, I would go to Monroe High School. Although this terrified me initially because all my family had gone to Parkwood, and I would be the first to attend Monroe, it turned out to be one of the best years of my life. While there had so much fun getting to meet new people and make friends who related to me on a personal level.  
  Nevertheless, I still wanted to achieve my original goal of attending an early college because I wanted to graduate with an associate's degree. Thus, I applied to Union County Early College in the summer of my freshman year and got in. Like the year before, coming to an all-new school was just as terrifying this time as the last. However, I decided to take on this new school much as I had done before; open-minded and optimistic. Furthermore, I had no time to worry too much as my coursework increased drastically, and the responsibilities of being an early college student set in fast. In no time, I was taking classes at SPCC and balancing being both a high school and college student.
  However, no matter what school I attended or where I lived, I remembered the importance of staying focused on maintaining my grades. As a diligent student, I have upheld all A's in my classes since the fourth grade. As a result, I could transfer my study habits throughout high school and middle school to my college classes. Yet, my academics became a massive part of my identity over time. I spent all my time on homework, perfecting assignments, and studying, so I lost myself to my academics for a moment. It only worsened during lockdown when my academics became the only consistent thing in my life. That is why when I finally returned to in-person classes in mid-2021, I took up any extra-curricular activity offered on campus.
  Now as a super senior in early college and at SPCC, I am involved in numerous activities on and off campus. Some of my activities include SGA, the NSLS, Phi Theta Kappa, Service Learning, and Global Scholars, to name a few. I love partaking in all my activities because they have given me a greater purpose in life. Thanks to these clubs, I am now driven by leadership, service, advocacy, and community.
  In the future, I will take the knowledge I have learned from both my courses and extracurriculars to continue to thrive as I further my education. I plan to transfer to a four-year university to major in nursing and receive a Bachelor of Science in nursing. After graduating, I plan to continue my education in medical school, where I want to work toward becoming a pediatric doctor. During this time, I would also like to explore my interest in global learning by completing a study abroad course and further my leadership skills in clubs like student government. While accomplishing these goals, I will use the knowledge I gained from SPCC and my other experiences to attain the most out of this next portion of my life. So, that is the short story of my journey through the past up until the present and what I hope for my future.