This fall, Boothbay Region High School class of 2016 salutatorian Hannah Morley will study pharmacology at the University of Rhode Island. Morley wants to pursue a career in the health fields and plans on becoming a pharmacist.

The Kingston campus is a perfect match for Morley, who enjoys living near the ocean.

“The URI program is pretty well-known and I really like the campus, plus it’s 15 minutes from the beach,” she said.

Morley described pharmacology as a challenging field. She researched the field by interviewing a local pharmacist who told her the field has a lot of unpredictability.

“I like the fact it’s always changing, that really interests me, and after thinking about it for awhile, I decided it was a good fit for me,” she said.

Her high school academic career included taking several advanced placement and college level courses. Morley believes BRHS’s offerings prepared her well for college. Morley received college credit for taking three advanced placement courses.

“I feel well-prepared for college,” Morley said. “The course work was challenging and prepared me for the college workload.”

All the lessons Morley learned at BRHS didn’t come from a book. She also learned how to become a high achiever.

“There are a lot of resources here. I took advantage of these programs which helped me reach my academic goals,” she said.

Morley was a standout athlete during her four years at BRHS. She ran cross-country in the fall, played basketball in the winter, and ran track this spring. She captained the Mountain Valley Conference Championship cross-country and Class C State runner-up basketball teams. She is the girls track team captain this spring. She also holds the school’s record for the 3,200 meter run.

Morley received several scholarships and academic awards this spring. She received the Elks Legacy and Hood Milk Sportsmanship scholarships. She also is this year’s recipient of the school’s Principal’s Award.

In 2015, she received the BRYMCA’s Youth of the Year Award. She was also a Girls’ State delegate.

Morley is the daughter of Andrew and Sarah Morley of Boothbay.