The word “brilliant” means a number of different things: very bright, glittering; striking, distinctive; very impressive or successful. In other words, “brilliant” is synonymous with Hayley Premo.
From her involvement with Residence Life to Alpha Phi Omega, she shines in all she does.
A sophomore neuroscience major from Winston-Salem, NC, Premo is determined to one day attend medical school and become a surgeon. In preparation for her career, she is part of the Pre-Med Scholars Program and does research on campus.
An involved member of the CNU community, Premo enjoys the resources and opportunities her college provides. “There are so many leadership opportunities and you can really just pursue your interests.” She’s clearly done just that in her almost two years at Christopher Newport.
Currently, Premo serves as a Resident Assistant in Santoro Hall. New to the gig this semester, she really enjoys interacting with her residents. Says Premo, “I love it so much. I like being able to listen to people’s problems and give them advice and see them grow throughout the semester. Even though I’ve only been an RA for a few months, I’ve already seen so much growth in my residents.”
Her love of helping others is also displayed through her involvement with Alpha Phi Omega (APO), the service fraternity Premo belongs to. One project she really enjoys concerns feeding those in need. “My favorite project is Sandwiches For The Homeless. I’ve actually headed it twice. We make bagged lunches for the Peninsula Rescue Mission in Newport News. I think last semester we made about 290 sandwiches and this semester it was 390. It’s really fun; everyone gets together and you have an assembly line for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and people put chips in bags. This year we wrote motivational messages to put in there, too. The people who run the food bank are always really grateful and it’s just so nice to see that!”
But what does a busy college student like Premo do in her spare time? “I crochet a lot and I like to make friendship bracelets and I sell stuff on Etsy! I made my shop last summer since I don’t have time during the school year, but then once the summer begins, I restart my shop again.”
So, is such an awesome campus cutie taken? Yes! “I’m in a relationship. Happily taken,” states Premo with a smile. Though busy, she makes time to do things that make her happy. Always willing to help others, Premo is sure to go far.