Megan Kelley is one of 13 lifers in this year’s senior class.  She came to Charles Wright as a kindergartner and has thrown herself into the life of the school ever since.  Next year she’ll trade in her green and white gear for blue and buff.  She’s picked a college with a mascot almost as unusual as a Tarrier.  She’s going to be a Hamilton College Continental.  

Hamilton, located in Clinton, New York, is a liberal arts college more than 200 years in the making and one of the “Little Ivies” in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.  The school’s mascot is a soldier in the Continental Army of the Revolutionary War. The college is named after Alexander Hamilton who played a central role in the Continental Army as General George Washington’s Chief of Staff.

Kelley will be one of 1,780 undergraduates at the school.  She was recruited by the tennis coach and admitted as an early applicant this fall.

“I picked Hamilton because it just felt like the right school after I over-nighted there as a tennis recruit,” says Kelley.  “I was still very indecisive as to where I wanted to go at the beginning of the process but after I visited Hamilton my decision became clearer.”

Megan is the type of super-organized student who has been able to balance many interests and commitments during her high school years.  “I know our crazy CWA schedule by heart and always answer my friends’ typical question, ‘When does our next class start?’” she explains.  Megan is often on campus early for meetings and gets home just in time for dinner after practice.

As one of those Tarriers who truly bleeds green, Megan made four-year commitments to journalism, student government, soccer and tennis.   She has served on the student activities committee, planning dances, spirit weeks, pep assemblies, homecoming floats and class t-shirts.  “That kind of stuff is right up my alley as far as my interests and I’m so glad my class elected me to be in charge of bringing spirit to our school,” she explains.

An alum of CWA’s middle school newspaper program, Megan pursued her interest in journalism when she arrived in the Upper School and became the senior ad editor of the yearbook her junior and senior year.  “Yearbook Saturdays have been a big part of my high school career,” she says. “I’ll always remember Ichiban lunch call-ins and eating Lakewood Donuts in the old yearbook room.”

Like many Tarriers, Megan has excelled in more than one athletic program.  “I love that because CWA is a smaller school I was able to play and compete in more than just one sport,” she says.  “Don’t get me wrong, tennis is my passion, but it was so great to be part of a team sport. I was soccer captain this year with Natalie Powell and I loved being in a position where I could help lead our team. I love how close we became through all the bonding we did – sleepovers, dinners at the Ram, breakfasts at IHOP after conditioning.”

As she began he college search in earnest, Megan knew she wanted to find a school with that same close community.

“I was looking for an environment similar to Charles Wright and think Hamilton fit that mold perfectly.  As I walked around campus, I got the feel for the school.  It is not too big where you might get lost but not too small of a school either.  I decided to apply early decision, because I wanted Hamilton to know how serious I was about wanting to go there. Although Hamilton is quite far from home, I think that because it’s such a great school for me the distance won’t be a problem.”

Hamilton has a very strong women’s tennis program.  The NESCAC conference has produced five NCAA Division III team champions, five runners-up, three singles champions and five doubles champions. Five NESCAC programs made the NCAA championships last year, and the final match was an all-NESCAC showdown.

“The fact that I’m able to play tennis at a college level is amazing!” says Megan.  “I am so excited to play tennis and be a part of a school that is exactly what I have been looking for in a college all this time.”  At CWA, Megan has made three trips to state as part of doubles teams and hopes to add a fourth trip this spring.  This will be her second year as the Tarriers’ co-captain.

Megan lives in Lakewood with her parents.  Her older sister Lauren graduated from CWA with the class of 2007.  Her younger brother, Austin, is a freshman.  She jokes that “basically, CWA is my life” but also enjoys snowboarding, skiing, hanging out with friends and going to the movies.