Abby Lions name Chavez ‘Student of the Quarter’
Abbotsford High School senior Fatima Chavez has been named the Abbotsford Lions Club Student of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of the 2019-20 school year.
Chavez carries a rigorous class schedule that includes Oral/Interpersonal Communications, Family Foods II, Body Structure and Function, trigonometry, Independent Art and Design II, Clay and Sculpture II, Careers with Kids and teacher aide. She has participated in many co-curricular activities, including National Honor Society, Student Senate, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, BLAST, Spanish Club, Diversity Club, One Act Play, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Math and science teacher Andrew Brehm highly recommended her for the Student-ofthe- Quarter award.
“Fatima is an exceptional young lady who not only does all the right things inside the classroom, but outside as well. She is quiet and intense in class yet is selfless with her time as well; it will be hard to see her leave when she graduates,” Brehm said. “Her participation in so many worthy activities has given Fatima a positive voice to use; she has had many occasions to help her peers achieve their goals. She has given a lot back to the community that has supported her. It is people like her that anyone would want as an active community member. She also has a very zany sense of humor and a laugh that is contagious. I consider her to be a fantastic role model for our young students and definitely recommend her for this SOQ award.”
Fatima’s volunteerism attests to her belief in community service. She has been actively involved in the Lions breakfast brunches and blood drives, Special Olympics, Polar Blast, Salvation Army bell ringing and Community Clean-Up drives.
When asked to identify an outstanding feature of the community, Chavez applauds Abbotsford’s Hispanic community.
“Abbotsford is so diverse in ethnicities, languages, and cultures; it’s beautiful to see many thriving businesses owned by the Latino community. The school has an excellent ELL program to help students learn English, but also keep their native language. The elementary school has a phenomenal dual language program to help children become proficient in Spanish at a young age. The Hispanic community has helped shape Abbotsford as a diverse rural town.” When asked to define a major world problem, Fatima responded by identifying mental health disorders.
“There is an endless amount of people currently experiencing mental health disorders, who are not able to focus on themselves,” she said. “Although there are many resources available, some are afraid they will be judged for getting help. I wish I could tell everyone who is suffering from a mental health problem that they are not alone and it is OK to seek help.”
Chavez works at Bookkeeping Plus. After graduation, she plans on attending Northcentral Technical College, focusing on business management, and then transferring to UW-Eau Claire for pre-occupational therapy. She eventually hopes to have her own occupational therapy practice.
Fatima is the daughter of Rosina Meraz and Efrain Chavez, Abbotsford.
