Hadley Clayton is clearly one of the top seniors in the country and now the Huntington High School Class of 2019 valedictorian has decided to attend Princeton University, one of the top colleges in the world.
“When I first visited the campus I fell in love with the atmosphere,” Ms. Clayton said. “Through research, I already knew that at face value Princeton had everything I was looking for; an incredible electrical engineering program, fantastic internship and research opportunities, many global options and a very active community. However, despite all of these factors, fit is also a very important consideration, so only after visiting and interacting with the community at Princeton was I sure that this place so full of passion and drive was the perfect fit for me.”
Huntington High School senior Hadley Clayton.
The Huntington senior considered Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Tech, the honors college at the University of Maryland at College Park and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before finalizing her plans to attend Princeton.
“I want to study electrical engineering with a concentration in photonics and optics,” Ms. Clayton said. “Taking my college experience global is also something I’m very interested in, whether through a summer semester abroad or a foreign internship. I would try to get involved in Princeton’s athletic community as well, whether as a cross country walk-on or as a part of their running club.”
The teenager has aced all of Huntington High School’s most challenging courses and participated on the Blue Devil varsity cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams. Ms. Clayton engaged in a research internship at the world renowned Brookhaven National Laboratory
“The dream is to either gain a high management position in a pre-existing photonics company or head my own startup photonics related company and help pioneer more advanced laser technology,” Ms. Clayton said.
The teenager will be joining Huntington Class of 2016 member Katie Reilly at Princeton. A current junior, Ms. Reilly is studying political science and playing on Princeton’s women’s lacrosse team.
The senior has worked so well with so many teachers over the years. Ms. Clayton will be missed by everyone. She left an indelible mark on the high school.
“I will always remember the people at Huntington’ my teachers, my coaches, my friends and my cross country and track teams,” Ms. Clayton said. “They have all helped me grow into a better version of myself and become lifelong confidants and friends.”
