She loves to act just as if she were her character. The lights and audience do not phase her. She has full confidence in herself and her abilities. She has been a part of theatre for years, and it has been one of her main hobbies for as long as she can remember.

Participating in theater is her way of letting her bubbly personality shine even more. Being in theater at her previous school where she had already been comfortably settled, soon changed into being a part of the theatre program here at Texas High. She had been attending school in her hometown, Paris, Texas, until her junior year, when her father was offered a pastoral job at a church here in Texarkana, influencing her family’s decision to move.

“I miss my family in Paris the most,” junior Abby Cannon said. “My grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins and my friends live there. I had lived in Paris my whole life and I’d never moved, so even my friends felt like family to me. I definitely don’t miss feeling like I’m bored sometimes, though. I love that Texarkana has more stuff to do.”

So far, Texas High has impacted Cannon in more ways than one.

“I’ve met a lot of great people and made a lot of friends,” Cannon said. “Texas High is also a really big school so that was an impact itself. I came in only knowing a few people from my church and that was it. I still wasn’t really comfortable around people yet because I didn’t know very many of them.”

Cannon feels that Texas High has its differences from her previous school in Paris and that it will take time to get used to the new feel, such as her transition of sports teams.

“I was a die-hard wildcat at heart, so it was really hard for me to move to a new school because it was a bit uncomfortable rooting for a different team,” Cannon said. “Part of me still feels like a wildcat because I’m still new, but I feel like I can be both a tiger and a wildcat.”

Amidst the hardships of changing schools, Cannon has found ways that have helped her to get involved and make her feel more at home, particularly through Tiger Theatre Company.

“Theatre is a lot of fun because I’ve done it for a really long time,” Cannon said. “Coming in to a new school’s theatre that has people that are so welcoming and kind has really made the move an easier transition. I already feel like they’re family.”

With the help of the theater program, Cannon is continuing to use her hobbies of acting, singing and performing in a way that lessens the extremity of her move.

“Moving can be really tough. If you haven’t already experienced it, you will when you go off to college,” Cannon said. “It’s sad to know that you’re not where you used to be and with your friends. Some days I feel like crying and then other days I’m perfectly fine. That’s how it is when you move. But I know that this has given us a lot of opportunities. So, yes, moving can be sad, but great things come from it.”