Hayley Sigmon, another member of the class of 2015, is a standout student that both teachers and students admire. A “lifer” at Rocky Mount Academy, Hayley has had many accomplishments throughout her time in Lower, Middle, and Upper School. These accomplishments can be seen through her academic honors, excellence in the arts, extra-circular activities, and volunteer work.

Hayley was inducted into the National Honor Society and was also a Marshal at this past year’s Baccalaureate and Graduation Ceremonies. An AP scholar, Hayley has also been awarded numerous awards such as Excellence in French, the Duke Tip Scholar award, and High Honors in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades. She has also been published in the Young Authors Project for the Nash-Rocky Mount Council of the International Reading Association. These accomplishments do not even begin to describe Hayley’s character as a whole; however, they do highlight her work in the classroom. All of Hayley’s dedication was shown when she was selected as the RMA nominee for the prestigious John Montgomery Belk Scholarship of Davidson College.

Outside of school work, Hayley has been very dedicated to her time in the arts. At Rocky Mount Academy, she has been involved in the High School Chorus, The Music Performance class, and various school plays. Her High School acting career did not stop with the work she did in the RMA theatre program. She has also been in numerous theatre works in the community through Rocky Mount’s own Imperial Center. Her dedication to the arts does not stop there as Hayley also plays two musical instruments: the piano and the drums. She has been taking piano lessons since she was seven years old and has been playing both instruments while being a part of the Rocky Mount Academy Music Performance band. 

Her dedication to the arts does not stop there; Hayley also plays two musical instruments: the piano and the drums. She has been taking piano lessons since she was seven years old and has been playing both instruments in the Rocky Mount Academy Music Performance band. Along with many of the accomplishments listed above, Hayley is also a dedicated member of several extra-curricular activities and enjoys many hobbies. Since ninth grade, Hayley has played on the Girls’ Varity Soccer and Cross Country teams at RMA. She has also been an avid participant in Tae Kwon Do; taking lessons since age eight and has already received her First Degree Black Belt. As part of her job experience throughout high school, Hayley likes to referee youth soccer at the Gillette Soccer Fields and the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. Sports are just the beginning to Hayley’s extra-curricular activities; she also loves to read and has become very interested in creative writing. Her love of books and her determination to learn more about photography and film is what inspired her to create a Book Club and Film Club at school.

On top of all of this, Hayley has also worked extensively in volunteer and service work. A member of the Rocky Mount Debuette Club since ninth grade, Hayley has participated in various food drives, heart walks, work with the Pregnancy Care Center, and other service projects. She also volunteered this past summer for Nash General Hospital on a weekly basis.

Check out more about this week’s Senior Spotlight pick below in the interview the Eagle Examiner conducted with Hayley herself.

Q1:  What colleges have you applied to or plan applying to? Do you have any schools that you are more inclined to choose?

A1:  I have applied to UNC at Chapel Hill, UNC at Charlotte, and Davidson in state, as well as the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt out of state. I am almost finished with my applications for Ithaca College, Columbia, and George Washington University. If I were to receive a scholarship in-state, my choice would be a lot easier! As of right now, I am leaning towards Ithaca, Vanderbilt, and Columbia, though I would love to go to any of my in-state choices.

Q2: What are some of your hobbies and interests?

A2: I am first and foremost a storyteller. I have always been a writer and have written creatively since elementary school. Over the years, I’ve explored other creative veins such as poetry, theatre, and filmmaking. Outside of writing short stories, poems, and screenplays, I also enjoy soccer, photography, and running. I also recently started a YouTube channel where I will be uploading short films made with the Film Club and other videos promoting positive self-image, high self-esteem, etc. My hope is that through this channel, I’ll be able to reach kids who feel ostracized or downtrodden and help them to feel better about themselves.

Q3: What do you look forward to this year and/or when you go to college next year?

A3: I’m looking forward to making the most of my senior year with my friends and family. As for college, I’m excited to go off on my own and experience the world a bit more independently, even though I’m a little nervous about being all alone. I hope to continue my creative endeavors in college and, if I’m lucky, eventually publish a novel or make a full-length film!

As seen through the article above, Hayley is an intricate part of the Rocky Mount Academy family and will be greatly missed next year when she embarks on a whole new chapter of life.

If you would like to watch Hayley’s first YouTube post from her new video project, click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Pb-fk8bQw&list=UUBR6h6tPi6xGN4VV9snaC-g&index=1