Spotlight on Heights High Graduates: Susan Wherley

Susan Wherley

Susan Wherley
Coventry ’99
Heights High ‘06
Graduate of Harvard University.

What’s your degree?
I graduated with a degree in African Studies and Health Policy.

What would be your dream job after graduation?
I interned with the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, It would be a dream to work there with the Biorisk Reduction for Dangerous Pathogens team on diseases like hemorrhagic fevers and poxes.

What are you plans for the next couple of years?
I’m planning on getting degrees in medicine and public health after working in health policy for a year or two.

Do you have a favorite memory from elementary school?
My kindergarten class at Coventry school sat on the hill singing “I’ll Be Working on the Playground” while our parents built that beautiful playground.  The friends I made in elementary school are still some of my best friends today.

What did you learn at Heights High that prepared you for college?
My teachers at Heights High were wonderful mentors to me.  They made classes fun, interesting and challenging.  The close relationships I developed with them gave me the confidence to approach my college professors to ask for help with a difficult concept or advice for the future.

What did you enjoy most at Heights?
So much!  I loved my AP classes, the instrumental music program, field hockey, Model UN, AFS Club and two trips to France with the French Club.

What advice would you give current Heights High students?
It’s easy to just coexist at high school. Make an effort to get to know the people around you and you’ll learn something new every day. Most importantly, take advantage of all the opportunities that being a student at Heights affords you.