Sept. 22, 2025—Thornton Middle School eighth grade student Abigail Arocena is applauded by her teachers for being an involved student on campus.

School: Thornton Middle School

Age: 13

Grade: 8

Accomplishments: Arocena is a member of the Thornton cross country team and earned all-region choir honors last year.

Favorite class: “My favorite class is choir because I love the kind of energy it gives.”

Favorite things to do after class: “Outside of class I love watching TV shows and listening to music.”

 Favorite song: “CHIHIRO by Billie Eilish and Bags by Clairo.”

Favorite website/app: “Letterboxd, because I can see what other people think about movies.”

Favorite TV show: “The Vampire Diaries, because of the quick-moving plots and the romance.”

Favorite movie: “Titanic, because it is very sad and romantic.”

Ambition: “One day I hope to play professional volleyball. Playing volleyball makes me happy and I want to push myself to be even better at it.”

What topics/things are you passionate about?: “Music, Taylor Swift, anything Marvel, choir, volleyball and TV shows!”

What inspires you?: “My sister inspires me because I know she works so hard for the things that she wants.”

What three things can’t you live without?: “I cannot live without my family, my friends and my phone.”