On May 8, 2008, Abigail Roberts, or Abby as she prefers, was born in Flint, Michigan. Roberts has two siblings, the oldest being Avery and the youngest being Amelia. Roberts is the middle child and she has always been very close with her sisters and her family in general. Growing up, Roberts enjoyed being outside, staying active, and spending time with her loved ones. Her parents, Tim and Allison have always supported Roberts and continue to encourage her to chase her dreams. Roberts says that her mom has been her biggest influence, the person she looks up to, and who she wants to be like as she continues to grow. 

Roberts has attended Kearsley for 13 years and has played volleyball for the district for 10 of those years. She 

first joined volleyball because she wanted to try different sports and find out what she liked to play the most. She loves playing volleyball even with the hardships that come with it. During a tough volleyball game, she stays motivated even when things get intense.

“To handle the pressure of an intense game, I remind myself that I know what I’m doing, to use the skills I’ve gained over the years and stay focused. It also helps to have a friend on the court who I can high-five and reset with,” Roberts said.

After graduation, she is continuing to pursue her passion for volleyball in college.

Even though her love for volleyball continues to grow, she still has challenges she faces on and off the court.

Roberts said, “A challenge I’ve faced is having to learn to work with coaches who aren’t very easy to get along with. This has taught me how to work with people even when it’s tough, to stick through things that are hard, and to not let one person ruin the thing that excites me.” 

After Roberts graduates, she is traveling to Rome, Italy to attend the Rome City Institute for one year and then she is moving back to the states to pursue a degree in marine and conservation biology.

“I am passionate about ocean conservation and protection because I’ve always loved the ocean and I believe that it’s a resource worth protecting,” Roberts said.

She plans to specialize in shark conservation. She feels that no animal should be neglected and go unprotected.

“I want to work with sharks specifically because I think all animals deserve to be safe and out of harm’s way, even the ones that are considered scary,” Roberts said.

She chose this college because she went to Italy this past year and loved it. She immediately could picture herself living and playing volleyball there for the year. 

“In my future career, I hope to educate people on the importance of our ocean and how we need to protect it. I also hope to teach people that sharks aren’t as scary as they are perceived,” Roberts said.

When asked to describe herself in three words, she answered, “I think I’m independent, curious, and hard working.”

Due to her heavy workload, Roberts needs to stay motivated moving forward.

“Something that motivates me to continue pushing myself forward is remembering all of the possibilities I know I can accomplish. It makes me want to work harder and push myself to be the best version of myself,” Roberts said.

When asked what she wants people to remember about her, she stated, “I want people to remember me for my humor and the way I treat people. I also want to be remembered for my future work in marine and conservation biology.”

Abby wants to continue doing the things she loves and staying devoted to her goals. She pushes herself every day to make others proud of her, but she especially wants to always be proud of herself.