Hayley Hampton

Rachel Mays

Feb 28, 2023

A classmate turned lifelong friend. Not only is she the reason I survived (and was able to pass) four years of french class, but she was a consistent source of happiness and laughter during a tough time in my life. Catching up with her is always refreshing and every time we talk it’s like we’re back in class, laughing and filling each other in on what’s been stressing us out or new things going on in our lives. She’s a breath of fresh air and continues to amaze me. She’s made a huge difference in my life and I know she’ll continue to positively change the lives of so many others. My silly filly.

Meet Hayley Hampton.

Q&A

Rachel: Favorite things to do on weekend?

Hayley: Going to the Farmer’s Market, it literally gets through the week. On Saturday mornings I love to go early and get produce. I love the ambiance and whole aesthetic of it. There’s one place that has amazing croissants so we’ll go there and then walk around to get fruits and veggies, and it's amazing to see who you're buying from and then coming home and incorporating that produce into meals. Last summer I was really into pickling vegetables- every weekend I would get something new to pickle and my whole family would try it, so it was fun to be creative in the kitchen and try something new

Rachel: Favorite Dinner Spot?

Hayley: Chesapeake

Rachel: Coffee shop & order?

Hayley: I'm sensitive to caffeine so at starbies I'll usually get an acai refresher with lemonade but my favorite drink for a pick me up is a soda pop, Dr. Pepper to be specific

Rachel: Walk me through your work day or a busy day you had recently

Hayley: 8-4:30, I work as a medical office assistant /med assistant where I’ll check in patients and do paperwork for doctors in a clinic. I personally love the clinic over the hospital because I get to know the clients better. It’s busy most days, and sometimes paperwork gets put on the back burner. It feels good getting stuff done for a patient, and I like talking to people from all walks of life, like those who are older and share their wisdom. There are also people from the prison system who come in and it’s nice treating them all the same and giving everyone the care they need

Rachel: Favorite book?

Hayley: Ooo this is hard, so many options from audible, the Silent Patient, and Doctor sleep (the sequel to the shining)

Purchase 'The Silent Patient' on Amazon

Purchase 'Doctor Sleep' on Amazon

Rachel: What are you currently reading?

Hayley: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter! This book is my life rn any free second I’m trying to get more of this story in

Purchase 'Pretty Girls' on Amazon

Rachel: Favorite podcast?

Hayley: Am I the asshole podcast, they read through submissions from the reddit page under the same name. It is super interesting seeing how other people think about situations and feels like reality TV because you just get so much gossip hahah

Rachel: Favorite song atm?

Rachel: Favorite movie/s?

Hayley: Coraline! Or Deadpool and Bridesmaids. From my childhood - it has to be The Little Mermaid

Rachel: Favorite show?

Hayley: Modern Family, New Girl, or True Detective

Rachel: If you had to give a Ted Talk, what would you talk about?

Hayley: Women’s health and the importance of sexual health testing, or just the importance of preventative care and regular check ups

Rachel: If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be & why?

Hayley: Whitney Houston - she seemed so funny and I love her attitude, she seemed so vivacious

Rachel: Hardest thing you’ve ever done?

Hayley: The culmination of writing my personal statement for grad school because I had 3,000 characters to explain every decision I've made for the past 23 years of my lfe and why I deserved a place in these schools. They say it’s not a competition but it is, and I was so stumped and feeling like, ‘Am I really good enough?’ I reached out for help, talked to a professional and got expert guidance. I was questioning myself a lot. There was also a Covid essay on top of it, to talk about how it impacted you. I just felt really disconnected from the material because I wasn’t getting in-person experience during covid along with everything being so up in the air. I ended up taking two years off to get more hours, and I also changed from pre-med to PA, it sounded better for my lifestyle and just more balance.

Rachel: What’s something you changed your mind about recently?

Hayley: I completely changed my mind about red wine. In the past it always had to be sweet white wine. But, recently I figured out that sweet red wine makes me think I could eventually like a red wine that costs more than $4

Rachel: If you had to write a book about yourself what would it be titled?

Hayley: something along the lines of “Me to Me: Are We Sure About That?” or “Question Everything”

Rachel: How would you describe yourself in two words?

Hayley: Silly Filly

Rachel: What’s something you want to accomplish in the future?

Hayley: Learn how to knit or crochet

Rachel: Who inspires you the most and why?

Hayley: My mom, thinking about her being a young mom and all the sacrifices she made. I really appreciate everything she’s done for me and how much she supports me. She’s always been there and she just never stops pushing through. So many things have happened in her life and she always overcomes it. She's taught me resilience and how to put one foot in front of the other.

Rachel: What's the last thing you cried about?

Hayley: Last night on Tiktok or literally anytime I watch the news, anything that strikes a chord with you about humans

Rachel: Last time you laughed?

Hayley: This morning at my cat for being such a whiny baby trying to beg for food.

Rachel: What would you be amazing at with no prior experience?

Hayley: Being a product tester hahah, I love to eat and have a lot of opinions.

Rachel: Unpopular opinion/ Hot take:

Hayley: Took me 22 years to appreciate mashed potatoes

Rachel: What was the last compliment you received?

Hayley: My attitude at work

Rachel: What’s the first thing you notice in a person?

Hayley: Their smile or facial expression

Rachel: If you could go back in time to any age and give yourself advice, what would you say?

Hayley: I’d definitely go back to little Hayley in the fourth grade, cause I was really scared of middle school. Some kids on the bus told me math was impossibly hard and even harder in high school. So I go home and I was bawling to my mom, I was being so existential in the fourth grade.I would basically say listen to your mom when she says its okay, and that you can handle all the academic challenges that come your way.

Rachel: What's one thing you’re proud of yourself for?

Hayley: Even if I'm going through something I always carry on. While I am proud of my resilience, I’m still learning it’s okay to ask for help even though I know I've gotten through everything before, and that it’s okay to go through it with other people by your side.