Alyssa Bryan has spent the last four years working in Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Global Health and Diseases, studying the effects of malaria on fetal and neonatal health. This important work generally is reserved for medical doctors and graduate fellows, but Aly began her research when she was just 14 years old. Now a senior at Hathaway Brown, Aly is an outstanding student who is described by teachers as hardworking and tenacious. And she has been named a 2013 United States Presidential Scholar, one of the most prestigious honors for American 12th graders.
All of this year’s scholars– along with the teachers they say have most influenced them – have been invited to Washington, D.C., for a gala celebration June 15-18. Aly selected William Adler, her math teacher for the last four years, to join her and receive a special Teacher Recognition Award.
“Not only has Mr. Adler taught me everything from trigonometry to advanced multivariable calculus, but he has also taught me to seek help in academic situations when needed and to always give 110 percent effort in all of my work,” Aly said. “My best memories from high school all have Mr. Adler in them.”
For his part, Adler said he’s humbled that Aly calls him her most influential teacher. “She’s always doing something amazing,” he remarked. “It has truly been a privilege watching Aly grow as a student of mathematics. It is clear that she really enjoys the challenge of a difficult math problem and the joy she gets when she figures it out.”
The daughter of Fawn and Edward Bryan of Bainbridge, Aly is one of only four Ohio students selected as a Presidential Scholar based on her excellent academic record and “promise of greatness.” From nearly 3.2 million graduating high school seniors, approximately 3,900 students were identified as candidates in the program, and from there 550 semifinalists were selected. The names of this year’s 141 Presidential Scholars were released by the U.S. Department of Education on May 6.
In addition to her work at CWRU through Hathaway Brown’s Science Research & Engineering Program, Aly also is the captain of HB’s Speech & Debate team, and lead mentor for the TRUST (Transforming Relations to Unite Students Together) program organized by the school’s Center for Multicultural Affairs. She works closely with the Admission office to welcome new students to the Upper School as Gold Key co-president, and she’s a Global Scholar who’s traveled to Germany and France during her time at HB and is now preparing a thesis addressing policy recommendations for Guantanamo Bay during President Obama’s second term. In 2012, she earned a perfect score on the ACT, she was a Siemens competition semifinalist, and she recently was inducted into the HB chapter of the Cum Laude Society.
Aly will attend Davidson College in North Carolina this fall, where she has been named a John Montgomery Belk Scholar in recognition of her intellectual curiosity and commitment to both the local and global communities. When it comes to career paths, she doesn’t want to limit her options. So she’s planning to major in Political Science, minor in French, and take classes on the school’s Pre-Med track.
There won’t be much time for Aly to bask in the glow of celebration in the nation’s capital next month. Immediately following the U.S. Presidential Scholars Awards ceremony, she’ll have to board and plane and head to Birmingham, Ala., where she and her teammates will take part in the National Forensic League High School National Speech & Debate Tournament.
Hathaway Brown is the alma mater of three previous U.S. Presidential Scholars as well: Laney Kuenzel of the class of 2008, and Edith Hines and Caroline Campbell, who graduated in 2000 and 1998, respectively.