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06/21/2017 04:00 AMA talented equestrian with a brilliant mind, Branford High School (BHS) Class of 2017 Valedictorian Kendra Libby rides off into a bright future this fall—but not too far from home. Kendra is joining the Yale University Class of 2021.
The New Haven Ivy was Kendra’s first-choice college. In fact, it was the only school to which she applied.
Kendra became interested in attending Yale last summer, when, at 16, she interned for two months with the Yale Discovery to Cure program. The work included researching placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells) and their role in inflammation during pregnancy, Kendra explains.
“At first, it was kind of intimidating being in the lab with them, but after I while I was just really enjoying the people and the work,” says Kendra, who pulled together her early application to Yale by August and learned she was accepted in December.
While she plans to go into medical research and medicine as a professional, Kendra originally thought she might become a veterinarian. That’s why she decided to leave Branford Public Schools (BPS) after attending through 8th grade, and join Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford. Lyman Hall offers students agricultural science educational programming, including a track geared to animal science and animal tech studies.
An equestrian since the age of eight, “I was originally interested in pursuing some sort of career in horses,” says Kendra, who also took a trip to Thailand in 2015 as a Loop Abroad volunteer to gain experience assisting in a veterinary clinic. In addition to assisting in all aspects of veterinary science at a local vet hospital, Kendra also spent a week working with elephants.
Although Kendra ultimately found the animal sciences program at Lyman Hall was not a good fit for her, she certainly didn’t squander her time at the out-of-town school.
“They offered more honors classes and AP [advanced placement courses] to freshman than they offer in Branford, so I was able to take an AP course as a freshman, which I think helped me to build up my skills at a younger age,” says Kendra.
When she transferred to BHS as sophomore, Kendra arrived ranked as the number one freshman in her Lyman Hall High School class. While she knew she had academic talent, Kendra says becoming BHS Class of 2017 valedictorian was more a function of continuing to do her personal best rather than work toward staying ranked first.
“It’s a little different in Branford, because Lyman Hall does show you your class rank, and when I got my transcript for my freshman year, it said ‘one,’” she says.
As BHS doesn’t provide ranking information to students, “I kind of ignored [class rank] and just wanted to do my personal best,” says Kendra of her three years at BHS.
“I found out about a week before graduation that I was valedictorian,” she adds.
Following BPS protocol, the name of the valedictorian and salutatorian are announced publicly for the first time from the podium on graduation night, and the two are brought up to receive an award. There is no valedictorian’s speech at BHS Commencement.
Although she wasn’t given the opportunity to share a few words of wisdom with her classmates, Kendra did have a speech she’d written—and it was a great one.
“I did think about it quite a bit, because for Mr. Petela’s World Views class this year, you had to write your own graduation speech,” says Kendra. “Some of the points I made in that pseudo speech are to travel a lot to expose yourself to new cultures and different views of the world and views of others; to meet other people and embrace each opportunity you have to get to know each other and accept and learn from others in order to grow as an individual; and to share your passion once you find your dream, no matter how unrealistic it may seem.”
Like the inspiration she drew from Jim Petela’s class, Kendra say she feels BHS offered her many opportunities for academic and personal growth. She credits her AP chemistry teacher Amy Okamoto with inspiring her to try for the Discovery to Cure Research internship.
“Last year, when Mrs. Okamoto told everyone in our class about it, I was really interested in the idea and applied for it. Branford High School does offer a lot of great AP courses,” says Kendra. “AP chemistry was my favorite, but all the classes were really great, and the teachers are awesome. So I feel like I have been well prepared by Branford High School.”
In addition to being valedictorian of the BHS Class of 2017 and earning high honors each quarter of her high school career, Kendra’s awards and recognitions include National Merit Scholarship Finalist (2017), Trinity Book Award recipient (2016), Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony Book Award recipient (2016), BHS National Honors Society and BHS Science National Honors Society (2016-’17), two-time Branford Rotary Student of the Month (Social Studies 2014; Sciences 2015), National Council of Teachers of English: Achievement Awards in Writing nominee (2016), and several departmental recognitions: geometry and biology (2014), social studies and English (2015), English and chemistry (2016), and English, AP biology, AP calculus, and social studies (2017).
During her high school years and continuing this summer, Kendra’s spare time is usually spent at Guilford Riding School.
“I started riding when I was eight years old. I began with a summer camp and after that I took lessons at riding school camp,” she says. “Now I’m an instructor. Every week, I teach lessons to the group of kids, and over the summer I’m a camp counselor.”
Kendra recently took part in Yale’s Bull Dog Days for incoming freshman and found a couple of extra-curricular activities that she wants to find the time to join, including the Yale Polo Club. The others?
For one, the Yale Democrats Group. For another, Kendra seems to be taking pointers from her valedictorian “pseudo speech.”
“I’m definitely thinking of joining the Ballroom Dance Team!” she says. “Most kids who join it have no experience, and it seems like a lot of fun.”