Hayley Christenberry has been selected by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to move forward in the next round of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. She is one of two Union County Public Schools students who are being recognized at the state level for outstanding academic achievement. Hayley will compete in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) category.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and since that time, the program has honored over 8,000 outstanding high school seniors. The mission of the program is to recognize and honor outstanding high school seniors, and thereby encourage high attainment among all students.

“I feel very honored to have earned such a prestigious award from Union County and from the state of North Carolina", Hayley said. “I am beyond excited to continue this journey and see how much further I can go with this award.”  Hayley aspires to be a veterinarian, and she is moving closer to her dream job each day as she successfully moves through the animal science pathway.  In addition to being a leader in FFA, participating in community service projects, and working as an intern at a local animal hospital, Hayley has earned her Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) certification.

“Over the past two years, Hayley has shown leadership by coaching her peers in various career development contests, such as dairy evaluation and vet sciences, where she excels,” said Laura Gardener, a CTE agriculture teacher at Piedmont High. "She is always willing to help others in the classroom to understand the tasks at hand.”

Semifinalists will be notified in April, and scholars will be announced in May. If Hayley is selected, she will be invited to Washington, DC to receive the Scholars Medallion at a special ceremony.