A few days ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a few of the ABC Girls. If you don’t know what ABC is, it’s a national program where kids from throughout the US can come to live in a house together to get a chance to excel in schools that are more challenging. Currently, there are seven girls from freshmen to seniors who live in Darien’s residence. For more information, visit ABC in Darien.
How did you hear about ABC?
Many of the girls heard about ABC through friends, other school programs, and family members. Ninth graders Mianna Singleton and senior Cassy Medrano were told about the program through past schools/programs and were recommended to join.
What made you want to join?
Eleventh grader Oyinade Akinrinade said that she joined ABC for “better education” and “better college opportunities” that ABC could bring her. Tenth grader Chikamso Okafor said that she wanted to join because her old schools in NYC didn’t push her to be a better student, and that working with ABC “could boost [her] chances overall.” Also, ABC schools offer more clubs and honors classes than some other schools.
What was the application process like?
Ninth grader Joy Kimwaki said the application process was just one word: “long”. Tenth grader Siobhan Kisakye said that she had to take lots of tests andwrite lots of essays. Medrano explained that every applicant being considered has to stay overnight and go to school with the girls the next day. They get to see what an average school day is like and decide whether it would be a good fit for them or not. Okafor said that the essays were “really easy to pour out her heart” on, and she has applied for other programs in the past, so she was used to having to write many essays.
How was your last school different from Darien?
All of the girls said that Darien was significantly different than their past schools. Medrano and Kisakye both said that Darien was more challenging and that education levels were very different in their last school. Also, Darien is a lot less diverse than schools in NYC, which makes sense. Darien High School is also a very big school and some of the girls, like Kisakye and Kimwaki, come from significantly smaller schools.
How is the community different?
Lots of the girls come from bigger cities that are very different from suburban Darien. Akinrinade said that race is a big difference. “Darien is predominantly white,” and “people have a lot more money” in Darien compared to Newark, New Jersey. However, Kisakye comes from Massachusetts, and she said that where she lived was “very much like Darien” and that it’s a “white suburb” with “not a lot of diversity”. However, it wasn’t as wealthy is Darien is.
What are some things you’ve struggled with since moving here?
Okafor and Medrano both said that breaking into friend groups was pretty hard. Trying to “find your people” when everyone already knows each other isn’t the easiest. Singleton called Darien a “bubble” and said it’s hard to make friends when everyone has been in the same class since kindergarten. Kisakye said she struggled with being away from her family in the beginning, and she missed her family a lot. But “once you find your friends, it gets way better.”
How was the transition to living in a house with seven other girls you don’t know?
Most of the girls had to share a room at home, so doing that here wasn’t hard. Kisakye said she had to learn to be more independent, having to know her schedule and remember to do her laundry. Akinrinade and Okafor said they had gone to boarding school and sleep-away camp, respectively, so they were used to living with lots of people at one time. Singleton said she had to get used to having people around all the time and “never being alone”. Okafor said she loves being at ABC because the girls have become her “second set of sisters” and the directors have become another set of parents for her to go to when she needs them.
Was it hard to leave your family and old friends?
Akinrinade and Kisakye both said that leaving their friends and family wasnt as hard as they thought it would be. Singleton’s family lives just a few towns over, so she can see them whenever she wants. Leaving them wasn’t hard for her. Some of the other girls said that it was harder for them to leave their families. Medrano said that she had to “grow up faster” coming here, and it was hard to come to a new town where she knew no one.
What’s it like having so many adults trying to parent you?
There was pretty much a 50-50 split with this question. Some girls like Medrano and Singleton think that it’s “beneficial” because everyone is “pushing them to be better.” Other girls like Akinrinade and Kisakye said that it can be “overwhelming” or “sometimes it feels like a lot”. But it’s “good pressure” because everyone wants the best for you.
