Tabitha Young

Tabitha Young - Alabama
Nomination by Andrea Young
Photography by Kerri Mabrey
Issue 91 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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​Nomination: Tabitha is inspiring because she has grown up in a small town but has defeated the odds. She has been accepted into colleges all across the country and has received over 3/4 of million dollars in scholarships despite having little help from those around her. She has done it all on her own.

Photography by Kerri Mabrey

Tell us about your small town and what you love most about it.
My small town only has around 7,000 residents. Almost everyone knows everyone but I am actually from Nebraska. I love the country and old time feeling the town gives off.
What is your high school like? Where do you fit in and where do you stand out? My school has Pre-K through 12th grade in one building. We have around 600 people, including faculty. Being a part of many clubs and sports means I get to fit in with my schoolmates but I also stand out a lot more. Most people here do not move away while I am moving to a different state for college.


What do you and your friends like to do together?
I actually do not have many friends. But when I do hang out with people, we usually go shopping or hangout around at home and chill. I am definitely a homebody for sure.

What will you miss most about your high school when you go to college?
I miss my routine. I am a person who loves to have a set routine and moving to college is going to disrupt it. I am excited to create a new routine at college.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
Something that is very inspiring about me is the fact that I have tried almost every sport/club/organization/a job and I am graduating high school as our class Historian. Even though my schedule was always packed with different events, I still was able to keep my all A’s in every class..

What are your roles and responsibilities as class Historian?
Being the class Historian, I get to help with graduation. I will help plan it and I will get to speak at graduation about all the memories our class has made during our school years.

What leadership opportunities have you had?
I have always been really involved in everything I do. While I was never captain or president of anything, teachers or coaching come to me to help plan things and figure out what to do. As a cheerleader, my coach used to ask me to teach the other girls dances, cheers, and ask my opinion on camps and competitions.

What did you learn about yourself trying all these sports and organizations?
I got to learn about how much I am able to do at one time. I found out that the more I have on my plate to do, the more efficient I am in everything and the more I do things to the best of my abilities. If only have little to do, I tend to slack off.

What else would you like to talk about?
I would like to talk about the fact that I decided to go against what most people that go to school with. Everyone I am graduating with is staying local for school. While I am moving almost ten hours away. Where I hope to graduate and move onto law school.

What college interests you most and why?
I am currently attending Florida Southern College this fall in Lakeland Florida. I got to go visit in February of this year and I loved it. The weather, the college's atmosphere, and most importantly the people were so welcoming. I have never felt so welcomed in a place until I got to visit the school. My admissions counselor, Julie, has been so supportive and has helped me every step of the way with my college decision.

What do you plan on studying?
I am majoring in Criminology, minoring in Pre-Law, and hoping Psychology. After I graduate college, I want to more onto law school after.

What are you most excited about going to college?
I am super excited to make new friends. My whole life I have never had many friends but the people I met in Florida when I was there were so nice and were already inviting me to hangout with them when I start school. I am also super excited to try out for their cheer team as well. I have been a big cheerleader and have never got to show my true potential.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
I could talk about books and be ready forever. I have a huge passion for reading but not just fiction books. I love to read and transport into a new world but I also love to read and gain new knowledge that most have no clue about. Knowledge is always powerful and reading keeps your mind sharp at all times.

What book have you read recently that you would most definitely recommend to others and why?
This is such a hard question! I would recommend “The Hating Game” by Sally Thorne if someone wanted more of a story that could happen in real life. I would recommend “Sunrise on the Reaping” or “The Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins if they love dystopian stuff.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most?
My mom actually found my photographer while working at Waffle House. She was a server and happened to meet the photographer and her family. The experience was so fun and nice. Kerri is an amazing person and super sweet. I loved that she was willing to do crazy poses and ideas I had.

What is a favorite memory with or thoughts of the person who nominated you?
Since my mother nominated me, the best memory is probably every hug I have received from her. We both are very non touchy people. Which makes our hugs so much more meaningful and memorable.

Why do you want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine?
I want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine to show small down kids that they can have big dreams and ideas and achieve them. My current college journey is a dream I thought was unimaginable but I made it by myself. I want others to know they can do it as we.

If you win a scholarship, what will you do with the money?
If I won the scholarship, the money would go towards my college tuition as well as be donated to the local children’s center. The center has helped me through a lot that has happened to me and I would love to give back to them.

What is your ideal dream job if it were offered to you today?
My ideal job would be a top working lawyer. I dream to be a successful and well known lawyer that can do cases pro bono.

Is there anyone you'd like to thank for helping you to get where you are today?
I actually want to thank myself. I am the type to never appreciate myself. I never think highly of myself and I always put myself down. I am grateful that even when I wanted to quit and stop going in anything I had done, I have pushed through it and finished.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
I want to say thank you so much. This is an opportunity that a person like me does not even imagine I could receive.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?
I would either be in my bed or a comfy spot with lots of blankets and pillows reading a book.

What is up next for you that you are super excited about?
Continuing my education journey to my future of being a lawyer is next for me!

What is the hardest thing you have ever accomplished, and how did you do it?
The hardest thing I have accomplished is actually getting up everyday and pushing myself. Not having much support and help really made me want to give up on getting out of bed.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
Keep getting up and pushing yourself even if no one else is pushing you.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans?
In five years I will be starting my first year of law school!!

What is your favorite activity or pastime that was not in your nomination?
My favorite thing other than reading is actually cheering and being a cheerleader.

Do you have a hidden talent?
This may not be a hidden talent but can actually vibrate my eyes.

3 Things on your bucket list.
1. Go to every continent 2. Get a corgi 3. Read every single book there is.

Who do you find inspiring?
I find Sheila Ross inspiring because she did not give up during the Laken Riley case and ended up winning.

What about you inspires others/why do you think you are inspiring?
I think I am inspiring because I always speak my mind and I never back down from anything.

Look for Tabitha in issue 91 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

click here for more information on issue 91

click here to nominate an inspiring teen