“I want to go into civil engineering. I’ve always been interested in math and science –and the Academy has taken my interest even further. During Jan Term, I did an internship with civil engineering firm back home. It was a lot of fun and it made me want to go into the field even more. I was glad to have this affirmation before I went to college.”

“Because of the smaller class size, we get a much deeper connection with our teachers. We know each other as human beings, which makes it easier to ask questions and get help … I struggled academically in public school. I wasn’t getting great grades and I didn’t really care. Now, I care and I’m driven to do well. Once I got my first A on a test at Salem (and it took me a while) I felt incredible. I studied and it paid off – it’s a feeling I wanted to continue.”

“I’ve changed in so many ways since I’ve been here. I’m more culturally aware and more respectful of people’s differences. Salem has girls from all over the world and all over the country, so we learn that everyone has a different upbringing and experience. I’ve learned to appreciate that. This is one of the ways I feel that Salem is preparing me for the real world. I’ll have a job one day and will have to work with people who are different from me. Because of this, I’ll feel comfortable and will go farther with my work.”

Following her Salem Academy graduation, Ashley Hamlett (shown here with her sons) attended UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Alabama School of Law. She served as a law professor and the director of legal writing at Faulkner University before becoming Alabama’s first female administrative law judge. Today, Ashley is director of licensing for Alabama’s...