Meet Northfield's National Merit Finalists: Haley Ryan

Editor's note: Out of 1.5 million applicants, five Northfield seniors are in a group of 15,000 National Merit finalists. Each student has a chance at one of several scholarship opportunities. This week, Northfield Patch features those five students, with one profile running each day Monday-Friday.

Name: Haley Ryan

Parents: Vince and Julie Ryan

Post-graduation plans: I'm attending Macalester College.

Favorite high school moment:

Spanish IV is one of the many highlights of my academic career; the classroom environment was the perfect combination of fun and learning. I’ve always thought learning was fun, but this class proved to me that it was true vice-versa, too. We acted out vocabulary with goofy gestures and sang just for fun and I developed a real passion for the language.

Toughest moment (you're willing to share):

I remember in ninth grade, I got my very first non-A grade in a class that actually mattered (i.e., not PE). It was in Advanced English and I was irrationally afraid that I wouldn’t get into a good college because of it, even though I knew the work I had been doing was way better than anything I’d done in middle school. It took me awhile, but I realized eventually that it’s not about grades, but about learning, and that is the philosophy that has allowed me to take risks and really engage in a topic instead of worrying about my GPA.

How did you get here? Reflect on what it took to get a month from graduation.

Quantitatively, it took a ton of hard work and late nights to be able to qualify for the college I want to go to, but I actually can’t imagine spending my time in another way. Everyone around me has always encouraged me to pursue my passion, so it felt natural working hard to make my dreams happen. I have found the most success in all areas of my life, academic and otherwise, when I remembered that grades don’t matter in the long run and made time to have fun and enjoy being a kid.

What do you see in the future? Do you want to travel? Get done with college as soon as possible? What are your ambitions?

Next year, I plan on attending Macalester College in St. Paul. I want to study so many subjects, from science and psychology to studio art and Spanish, which is why I chose a Liberal Arts college in an urban setting. I obviously want to learn from my professors and peers, but also from the world around me. I’d like to study abroad during college, but also travel after I graduate. I have no idea what career I’ll end up pursuing, but I know I wouldn’t be happy unless I knew I was helping someone else in some way.