On a Mission for Christ! 

That is the phrase that Timothy Christian’s Outstanding Young Alumni of the Year, Abygale Ahn, frequently uses when she talks about her life journey. It is not a phrase that is awkward, seems forced, or cliché. It is a phrase that is a natural part of her vocabulary. 

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award honors recent graduates who are servant leaders and use their God-given gifts and talents to glorify God. It is an honor for which Abygale Ahn is overqualified!

Abygale is a 2019 graduate of Timothy who was an excellent student and outstanding athlete. While at Timothy, she was a four-year varsity tennis player and a three-year varsity volleyball player. The unique part of her being a two-sport athlete is that tennis and volleyball are both fall sports. She was a member of the volleyball program all 4 years she was in high school. She was a 3-year varsity player (2-year starting libero) and was pulled up to the varsity team as a freshman during the program's playoff run to an IHSA 2A 3rd place finish. She made the Metro Suburban All-Conference team both her junior and senior years.

As a tennis player, she was a state qualifier all four years. She and her doubles partner, Cassandra Lee, finished third in the state twice! 

That means that Abygale had the unique distinction of being a 5-time state qualifier in the fall sports season!

Abygale attributes her ability to play both sports simultaneously to volleyball coach Scott Piersma and tennis coach Keith Mills. “They worked out a way for me to participate in both sports and were willing to make compromises,” says Ahn.

Abygale (left) pictured with Lindsay Mahler '19 in Honduras. 

Volleyball coach Scott Piersma says, “Abygale was the perfect example of what a student athlete at Timothy should be. Even though she played two sports at once, she was never behind in her school work. She was a great leader and role model for the younger players (especially when there were five sophomores on varsity her senior year) and a phenomenal spiritual leader for the team as well.” 

In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Abygale was a standout in the classroom. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Student Council and was the valedictorian of her class.

Following her graduation from Timothy, Abygale continued to be “On a Mission for Christ” at Wheaton College. Once again, she excelled in the classroom as well as an athlete. She played varsity tennis at Wheaton all four years playing both singles and doubles in matches, which you can do in collegiate tennis. “Tennis was more than a sport at Wheaton. Our tennis team was Christ-centered which helped me continue to grow in my faith,” she says. 

She also experienced continued success in the classroom as a pre-med and psychology major, graduating with honors. “I feel like I was ready for the academic challenges at Wheaton because of my education at Timothy,” she said. “The academics at Timothy were rigorous and I learned how to study and manage my time.”

During her senior year at Wheaton, Abygale served as a Student Chaplain. She was focused on leading Scriptural Engagement, which entailed organizing Bible studies, all-school worship nights, prayer vigils for campuses around the Chicagoland area, and speaking in chapel services. 

Abygale graduated from Wheaton in 2023 and took a gap year. Many people think of a gap year as an extended vacation, but for Abygale it was a “Mission for Christ.”  Not only did she spend the bulk of her time serving in mission venues, but she was also the JV tennis coach at Timothy. 

She began her mission work by assisting at the Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago working on a project to provide prenatal care to pregnant migrant women. She lived in Lawndale and experienced the unique culture of the neighborhood. She initially served for a month fully immersed in the Lawndale neighborhood. Following that month, she was invited to continue in her role for an extended time. 

When she finished in Lawndale, she went to Honduras for three months serving with a mission that involved improving her conversational Spanish skills, volunteering with a Christian mobile medical clinic, and helping missionaries who engineer potable water systems in mountain villages. She worked with Honduran people and helped lead groups that were there on mission trips, including a group from her home church, Elmhurst Christian Reformed.

In July of 2024, Abygale will continue her education at Northwestern University School of Medicine. Currently she thinks she will focus on family medicine, but is open to wherever God leads her. 

After all, she is on a “Mission for Christ.”