Catching up with Hannah Payne
Hannah Payne, one of the brightest and most affable Huntington High School graduates in recent years, is in full stride at Dartmouth College where she’s a sophomore majoring in neuroscience.
“I knew that the world would expand after high school, but everything I'm doing now had its beginnings in Huntington,” said Ms. Payne, who was salutatorian of Huntington’s Class of 2007. Dartmouth has proved to a perfect match for her in every way.
At Huntington, Ms. Payne participated in the extracurricular, music and athletic programs and blended right in with classmates. She earned top grades and was named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and an Advanced Placement Scholar with distinction.
Ms. Payne loves to travel and she’s expanded on her experiences in the past year. While in high school, she said she had “an amazing time” on a ten-day trip to Italy with teachers James Graber, Ken Krummenacker and Pam Piffard. But, that was nothing compared to a more recent excursion.
“This winter, I spent ten weeks in France, along with visits to six other countries,” she said. “I stayed with a host family and took classes in Lyon for a language program. All those questions du jour with Madame Mayer were finally put to use,” said Ms. Payne, referring to Huntington French teacher Deidre Mayer.
As a Huntington senior, Ms. Payne earned the Cold Spring Harbor Lab Research Award, Robert J. Buchanan Award, Edna Van Wart Mathematics Award, Office of State Comptroller Award and Sons of the American Revolution Award.
“I've continued playing violin in a student run chamber group,” Ms. Payne said. Last winter she returned to Huntington and participated on stage with fellow alumni and current students in the “Hallelujah chorus” under orchestra director Lisa Leonardi. “It was just as nostalgic as I had imagined [it would be].” Ms. Payne said.
The Huntington grad has also taken advantage of her new surroundings. “Although I'm not still doing cross country, there are endless trails and scenic roads in New Hampshire to keep me busy running,” she said. “I also hike and help upkeep parts of the Appalachian Trail near campus.”
While she excels in a number of academic disciplines, Ms. Payne is particularly gifted in the world of science. “Thanks to my research internship in a neuroscience lab at Cold Spring Harbor during my senior year of high school, I know that I want to continue in this field,” she said. “I will probably begin working in a lab in Boston next fall, when I have a free term due to Dartmouth's bizarre but useful quarter system. For now I am editing the undergraduate journal of science, DUJS (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dujs/).”
At Huntington, Ms. Payne was well-liked by teachers and classmates. She kept high standards for herself academically and was well-rounded in every possible way. Mild-mannered, gracious and upbeat, she really hasn’t changed much at all.
“I'm looking forward to coming back in June to see my brother, Dylan, graduate,” she said about the Class of 2009 salutatorian. “And I'm crossing my fingers that he'll end up here, too. He has a tough decision, but of course I'm pressuring him with lots of not-so-subtle hints!”
Could there actually be two Payne family members at Dartmouth at the same time? In a word, yes. Dylan is an academic powerhouse in his own right and has been accepted into some of the finest colleges in the country. Decision time will arrive soon.
“Today begins our upward ascent,” Ms. Payne told classmates at the 2007 graduation. “We now have the freedom to do what we want, when we want. As we approach the top of that roller coaster, however, we are faced with the question of what to do with all this potential energy. We have the potential to create good in the world, as well as bad. Happiness doesn’t come from success, success comes from happiness. Therefore, do what makes you happy. Follow your passion.”
At Dartmouth, Ms. Payne is, indeed, following her passion and that helps keep her very happy.
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