Alumni Spotlight - Haley Rewa
Meet Haley Rewa, a Wayland Union Schools Alumni who graduated in 2019. After graduation, Haley attended Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin where she received her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in biology and psychology. One aspect of Ripon that Haley particularly enjoyed was the professors' involvement in the educational success of their students. This provided Haley with the opportunity to conduct independent research her senior year on the development of craniofacial abnormalities through a zebrafish animal model. She is grateful for the personal and professional development her time at Ripon College was able to provide her.
Soon after college graduation, Haley Rewa accepted a position as a clinical laboratory technologist in the Clinical Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic Minnesota campus. Her lab focuses on extracting patient samples through various high throughput assays, and submitting those samples to be run through a mass spectrometer, specifically looking for hormone concentration levels. Haley’s role is to primarily extract patient samples, provide maintenance and operate necessary instruments, and analyze and release patient results. She has been working within this role for about 2 and a half years, and has begun training, advocating, and conducting changes within her team. Additionally, she conducts 13 assays which is a substantial amount comparatively.
In addition to being dedicated to her work, Haley Rewa also recently graduated with her Master’s in Microbiology from Colorado State University in December 2025. During her program, she studied topics such as antimicrobial resistance, applied infectious diseases, vaccine development, parasitology, mycology, and immunology.
Being able to accomplish what Haley Rewa has accomplished all stems from a strong base. When reminiscing on her time at Wayland Union Schools, she recalled Wayland’s numerous AP course offerings to be extremely beneficial. “I vividly remember taking AP biology my sophomore year,” states Haley. “This course got me excited about science as I found it both challenging and rewarding. Since that experience, I have worked to cultivate an environment that is continually challenging me to evolve.”
Haley Rewa would also like to offer some parting words of advice; “value your critical thinking skills, create and collaborate, seek and pursue as many experiences as you can, and refuse to settle for a stagnant life and career. We spend such a significant portion of our lives working, so prioritize finding joy in your work. If you cultivate joy in all aspects of life, what more could you ask for?”
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