Abbie Den Adel
Ankeny, Iowa
Class of 2025
Why did you choose Central?
Central is a family tradition, my grandparents met here, my dad, uncle, and aunt went here, and my brothers graduated here recently. Overall I was very comfortable with the campus. But other than that when I came to visit I loved the environment of the education department and I heard great things about all the professors.
Favorite professor and why?
This is a hard question to answer but I would have to go with all of my Education professors. They are all unique in their own ways and I appreciate all of them. They are all so caring and supportive towards me and want to see me succeed.
You’re majoring in Elementary Education because?
I am majoring in Elementary Education because I love being around kids, and I want to make an impact on their lives. Kids deserve an excited adult. They need someone who is ready to explore and laugh with them all day, and can surround them with love, encouragement, and hope!
Besides athletics, what else are you involved in on campus?
On campus, I am involved in CTA which stands for Central Teachers Academy. Basically, it is where we go through interviews and get placed into a classroom for 3 years and I get to student teach in that classroom my senior year.
Who are your go-to musical artists?
Number one is always Taylor Swift, I enjoy her music and the messages behind the lyrics, any chance I get I will play Taylor Swift. Another one of my go-to artists is Rascal Flatts, I grew up on country music and their songs were always on the radio. My brothers even made up a dance to the song Life is a Highway, which I am still mad that they didn’t let me join.
How has attending Central and playing a sport impacted your life?
Playing a sport at Central has impacted my life as it has kept me active as we practice in the fall and spring and lift twice a week. It has also impacted me by the friendships I have created, I have gotten so close to lots of girls on the team in a quick amount of time and there are lots of inside jokes that have been created. For example, at the beginning of the year any time I found a dead ball I would hit it over the fence toward the football field and yell “FORE” for the safety of anyone walking by of course and Coach Ferrell saw me do it once and yelled at me, in the Microphone over the speaker. So now anytime a ball is extremely out or goes over the fence, we yell fore.
What is one movie that deserves a sequel and hasn’t gotten one yet?
It’s kinda an odd choice but I would say Titanic BECAUSE although it does stand as an iconic masterpiece, the idea of a sequel might offer a unique opportunity to explore the aftermath of the tragic love story between Jack and Rose. It could lead into the characters' choices and new perspective of life after what happened on the Titanic. I know that Jack and Rose were fictional characters but I always wanted to know what happened after and see all the things Rose said she did after.
Favorite professional tennis player?
Kristina Mladenovic would be my favorite professional tennis player, and her game resonates with me on multiple levels. Her powerful and dynamic playing style keeps me on the edge of my seat during every match, she has a great blend of aggression and finesse that I find captivating. No matter the challenges she faces, she always maintains a determined focus and unwavering spirit.
If you were invisible, where would you go?
I would probably go to the store or just a public place and people watch. Get close enough where I could eavesdrop, maybe follow someone random around the whole day to see what their life is like.
Favorite memory from Central so far?
My favorite memory so far would be the pickleball tournaments. My freshman year when my brother went here I signed us up without telling him and made us shirts. About a week before the tournament I told him about it when I dropped off his shirt for it so he couldn’t say no. It was our first time playing pickleball together and we ended up getting 2nd place although he did carry the team I think we BOTH did pretty good.
Favorite TV Show
My favorite TV show is Psych and it is a detective show about a guy who pretends to be a psychic but actually just has a photographic memory. My brothers and I along with our cousins loved this show and watched it all the time together and it brings back good memories!
What’s it like to play for Coach Ferrell?
Coach Ferrell cares a lot about our mental health and if he notices something is off he will check in with us. He cares about how we are doing and wants to make sure he has a strong team physically and mentally. He pushes us to try our best on and off the court and tries his best to lead us to success.
What’s your favorite part about being a member of the Central women’s tennis team?
My favorite part is probably the game days we have. Every Tuesday would be game day and we would send in the tennis-related games we wanted to play into our group chat and at practice we would rotate through them. Some favorites are Hit the Cart, flurry, and the Abbie game, which is one I created it's where each person has 2 to 3 lives and is split into two teams covering three courts, there is only one ball going but you can hit it to any of the three courts it just has to be in and you try to get the everyone on the other team out before your team is out.
What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
In 10 years I hope to be teaching and either getting my master's or have my masters already, or a principal at an elementary school, anything will work for me. I really want a house on the Lake with a boat and a pool, get the best of both worlds with that. I also hope to pick up a new hobby like going wine tasting, or hiking.
Favorite food from Central Market
I really like when they have the wing bar and we get to pick what dressings to go on, it's my favorite and I've noticed they like to have it on Saturday nights.
Bucket list
- Meet Taylor Swift
- Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square
- See the Northern Lights
- Run a marathon
- Ride in a Limo
- Attempt to break a world record
- Go to Australia
- Read 100 books in a year
- Fly first class
- See the Eiffel Tower
