Words by Kim Vreeland
“Academy is like home,” shares Hayley Reed who began her journey at Academy when she was 4 years old. “Being at one school for my entire education gave me a sense of family.”
Hayley embraced her Academy family and appreciated their support as she created lifelong memories – House Day, Upper Division Trips, All-School Musicals, and Cabaret Night.
While Hayley participated in numerous sports, including soccer and weightlifting, earning back-to-back State Softball Championships is her most fond memory. With this memory, Hayley will head to Penn State Beaver this fall to study sports management and communication and fulfill her dream of playing softball at the collegiate level.
Hayley is grateful for the opportunities and support at Academy, “Getting to play with top players, such as Lexi Kilfoyl, was such an amazing experience. Both of my coaches throughout high school – Coach Stephenson and Coach Munn – supported my dream of playing in college and helped me work toward that dream.”
Hayley also recognizes that it was her dedication that helped her achieve her dream, “Going to every practice and private lesson helped get me to where I am today.”
Hayley’s dedication and success extended to the classroom. She cites the smaller class sizes and caring teacher community as significant factors in helping her find her voice and becoming who she wanted to be, “My teachers were extremely caring and helpful, and they kept in contact with me to see how I was doing.”
Hayley shares that she would not be where she is today without the academic preparation and support she received from her teachers. A member of the National English Honor Society and a Student Ambassador, Hayley gave back to her community – “a place that helps you develop into an independent, caring, and giving citizen.”