Sacred Heart Academy Valedictorian Heads to Yale University

From Sacred Heart Academy:

Helena Bui (17), the Sacred Heart Academy valedictorian, will attend Yale University where she plans to double major in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and the history of science, medicine, and public health. The daughter of John Bui and Huong Quach of Branford, Helena was also accepted to University of California Los Angeles, University of Connecticut (STEM Scholar and Honors Program), Quinnipiac University (Honors Program and Trustee Scholarship recipient), Georgia Institute of Technology (Honors Program and College of Sciences Dean’s Scholarship recipient), and University of Rochester. As the top ranking student, Helena will deliver the valedictory address at Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 28.

During her time at Sacred Heart, Helena served as vice president of National Honor Society, secretary of Mu Alpha Theta - the Mathematics National Honor Society, senior co-captain of Moody’s Mega Math Challenge, and was inducted into the Science and French National Honor Societies. She was awarded the University of Rochester Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology in junior year, earned silver and bronze medals on the National French Exam, and was recently named a Scholar Leader by the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) and a Summa Scholar by the Archdiocese of Hartford. She served on the leadership committee of Key Club and was chair of Peer Connection, teaching freshman seminar classes and organizing annual midterm preparation events for the freshmen.

Involved in community service as well, Helena has volunteered in laboratories and in the pediatric unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital and at the Branford Community Dining Hall. Also a varsity athlete, Helena was a member of the swim team and was named to the SCC All-Academic Team.

From a young age, Helena has been enthusiastic about pursuing a career in science and medicine and was privileged to earn an internship at the Yale School of Medicine in summer 2015 where she conducted statistical analyses concerning a mutation in the FLT3 gene that is correlated to a specific type of leukemia at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She also experimented and performed costs analyses on several methods of electrophoresis, looking to not only be a part of exciting and progressive discovery in the medical field but to also gain invaluable hands-on experience in only one of the many fields of science and research.

Excited to take the next step at Yale University, Helena conveys her thoughts about her time at Sacred Heart, “Sacred Heart has always been so much more than a school to me; I have made life-long friends and developed strong bonds with my teachers and the entire faculty, making Sacred Heart more of a home than just a place to learn. Everyone has given me so much—academically, spiritually, and emotionally—and I am forever grateful.”