Chimacum graduate follows in grandparents’ footsteps

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For graduate Haley Morrison, the best kinds of mysteries involve cute, fluffy animals.

She discovered this while volunteering at Hadlock Veterinary Clinic, where she was shadowing local veterinarian Rachel Strohmeyer.

“I’ve always loved animals,” she said. “It’s fun to work with them every day.”
But the best part for her was figuring out what was wrong with her clients’ furry friends.

“The mystery aspect is what’s fun,” she said. “You have to figure out what’s wrong with the animal if there’s a problem. And then you can help treat it.”

At the clinic, Morrison got the chance to watch animal surgeries and learn about the day-to-day activities of a vet.

“Sometimes with special cases we get to look under the microscope at samples from the pets, such as earwax samples to look for ear mites,” she said.

The enjoyment of this mystery is something that runs in Morrison’s family. Her grandparents owned their own veterinary clinic for years in Sacramento. Then, her grandfather traveled around teaching veterinary classes.

After graduation, she plans to follow in their footsteps.

“I always looked up to my grandparents who were both vets,” she said.

After graduating, Morrison is going to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine at the Washington State University.

But she’s also interested in taking business and environmental science classes.

“Business is pretty important, especially if you want to start your own clinic,” she said. “I just like environmental science. I’m also interested in psychology.”

Morrison, who is graduating from high school as valedictorian, has spent her high school career exploring activities she hopes to pursue.

Beyond volunteering with vets, she also started a Food and Horticulture” club that worked with environmental organizations such as the North Olympic Salmon Coalition to plant trees and learn about the native environment. The club raised $6,000 this year to donate to local environmental charities.

She was also in the school choir, a member of the executive branch of the Associated Student Body, and she enjoyed participating with the East Jefferson Rotary Club.

A member of the Interact Club, the high school chapter of the Rotary, Morrison worked with fellow students on service projects, such as helping at senior homes and soup kitchens.

As the end of her senior year drew nearer, and the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close, Morrison said she was sad to see all of the end-of-the-year events canceled.

“At first I hoped prom and stuff would still happen,” she said. “It’s the end of the year and finally you get to relax and have fun and remember the good parts of your senior year.”

But she’s looking toward the future and focused on her future career.

“It’s kind of a weird feeling,” she said. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like I’m graduating. But at the very least, we’re going to have a very unique experience that no other seniors will have had.”