Top 10 Senior Brenna Alley has seen her fair share of hospitals. In her sophomore year, she was hospitalized at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick and had to have her gallbladder removed. At the age of 2 and a half, her brother was born with a heart condition and needed open-heart surgery at just a few weeks old.

“I don't remember it much, but I've seen pictures of me sitting on my mom's lap in the hospital, just waiting,” Alley said.

Her brother survived, thanks to the care of the doctors and nurses. While Alley was in the hospital herself, she was impressed with all that the nurses were responsible for, and asked her nurses a lot of questions about their job and education.

As a result of these experiences, Alley has decided to enter the field of nursing herself and will be attending Walsh University in the fall.

“I went to a college fair with Kerrin Erhard (the college access counselor at BRHS) at the Augusta Civic Center and talked to a representative from Walsh there,” Alley said. “I added it to my list of colleges to apply to, and once I was accepted, my mom and I visited it over April break. I decided it was the right one for me.”

After a moment, Alley added: “Especially since they have free laundry.”

Her goal as a nurse is to care for newborns housed in the intensive care unit. When asked if she feels she can handle the stress such a job would entail, Alley said she's up to the task.

“It can be sad, but I think the babies that survive will make up for those that don't,” Alley said.

Alley is the daughter of Rebecca and Kevin Alley of Boothbay. She is part of the National Honor Society, the Student Health Advisory Board and the yearbook staff. She played soccer and softball during all four years of high school, making MVP her freshman and senior years in soccer, and once in softball. She also was a member of the swim team both its inaugural year as a junior and this year as a senior, qualifying for the state championship both years.

Alley plans to volunteer at Mid Coast Hospital over the summer to get some hands-on experience. While she hopes to be assigned to the maternity ward check-in, she plans to help out “wherever they need me.”