Nini Hayes ’26
As a high school student in New York City, Nini Hayes ’26 practiced ballet six or seven days a week for at least three hours a day. When she began her studies at Wesleyan University, she wasn’t sure she would be able to fulfill her passion for dance while completing her degree.
She needn’t have worried. The molecular biology and biochemistry major—who is also minoring in Mandarin and chemistry—co-founded the Wes Arabesque ballet club, which puts on one full-length performance every semester; has taken ballet classes continuously; and will soon serve as a teaching assistant for Patricia Beaman, University Professor of Dance. She also volunteers in the emergency department of the local hospital, helps lead the Asian American Student Collective, and will graduate next year through Wesleyan’s Three-Year Option.
Hayes, who wants to be a doctor and is working as an emergency medical technician in New York City this summer, came to Wesleyan with strong interests in her chosen fields and decided to enroll at the school in part because of its open curriculum.
“All of my interests—in STEM, language, and dance—are so completely different, and I didn’t want to give up one for the other,” she says. “I felt Wesleyan could support them all.”
She says she has benefitted from her friendships with and proximity to other students who are likewise tailoring their education to their interests and skills. She joined the cheerleading and ultimate frisbee teams on the recommendation of friends and regularly visits the sculpture studio with a former roommate who is double majoring in government and art studio.
“I’ve never even taken an art class,” Hayes says, but, “at Wesleyan, it’s nice to be involved in or hear about things that other people do that are not necessarily your interests but can still be interesting.”
As her life’s next act approaches, Hayes is bolstered by the resilience and creativity shaped through her time at Wesleyan. “Having the chance to pursue both medicine and dance has given me a truly well-rounded college experience,” she says, “and it makes me even more determined to continue my path toward becoming a doctor and making an impact in the future.”