Lycoming Valley Teen of the Week: Haylie Heverly

Over the course of four years, she’s dedicated over 167 hours of community service between her position in the Leo Club, varsity basketball and cheerleading, and the National Honors Society.

“This year with the National Honors Society, we did make a Blanket Day,” Heverly said. “We had a bunch of clubs in school come to help.”

After assisting in the organization of and participation of Blanket Day, Heverly and her peers were able to donate approximately 150 blankets to Project Linus in Danville.

Project Linus is a national movement that provides handmade blankets to children up to age 18 who are in need due to illness, trauma or insecurity.

“That felt great just to know we’re doing stuff beyond us… to help out people we didn’t even know,” Heverly said.

During her junior year, Heverly was awarded the Pennsylvania College of Technology Leadership award for an outstanding project.

Working alongside two of her classmates, Heverly implemented a peer-tutoring program in her school. The idea was to have students who are especially strong in a particular subject to tutor struggling students.

Heverly said that teachers aren’t always able to connect to students concerning specialized subjects the way that other peers can.

The project lasted throughout the entirety of her junior year, though she was also involved with organizing a youth cheerleading camp for elementary cheerleaders, teaching elementary basketball players game tactics, and assisting during a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) event for young children within the school district.

“It feels really good to see that I’m not the only one, and people in my school aren’t the only ones, to see what I do,” she said.

Three defining traits Heverly attributes to herself are her ability to be caring, outgoing, and a leader.

“Mainly, the way I think of it is ‘treat others the way I want to be treated,’” she said. “I don’t want to be known for things that aren’t very great.”

After her senior year, Heverly is narrowing down between attending Penn State Schuylkill or Bloomsburg University to pursue a degree as a first-generation college student.

She is looking forward to the individuality and freedom that college grants.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking, but it feels very good to know that I’m able to do something others in my family were not able to do in that I have a support system around me that they may not have had,” she said, of being the first in her family to go to college.

Since she was a young girl, Heverly has taken an interest in healthcare. An interest that has only amplified throughout her years of community service.

She's considering studying to become either a psychiatric or cardiovascular nurse.

“I like seeing how teachers in our school are very (helpful),” she said, of her inspirations. “It feels good to help others that’s definitely something I want to continue doing, no matter where I’m at or what I’m doing.”

Haverly has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout her four years of high school and scored a 1180 on her SATs. She’s also aced four AP classes, seven honors classes, and continued involvement in eight extracurricular activities.

“Do what you need to do, don’t do stuff to please other people,” she said in inspiration for her younger peers. “Go for what ‘you’ want.”

Montgomery Junior/Senior High School Principal Joe Stoudt nominated Haverly for Teen of the Week.

One of her teachers spoke highly of Haverly.

“I also believe Hailey represents our country very well as a participant in civic duties and responsibilities,” said social studies instructor Zachary Mrochko. “Hailey’s achievements at Montgomery have not gone unnoticed. The determination and humility she exhibits now as a young adult is truly remarkable.”

By Lauryn Longacre

The Standard-Journal