Leigh Foran: Staples Valedictorian Wins Elite National Award

There are 3.7 million high school seniors in the United States.

Only 161 are Presidential Scholars.

Staples’ Leigh Foran is one of them.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has chosen Leigh as one of those American 12th graders who demonstrated “outstanding academic
achievement, artistic excellence, technical expertise, leadership, citizenship, service, and contribution to school and community.”

Part of the selection process includes essays, school evaluations and transcripts.

Just 5,700 students qualified for this year’s awards, based on outstanding performances on SAT or ACT exams, or through nominations made by chief state school officers or organizations like the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.

Each honoree was asked to name their most influential teacher, who then receives a personal letter from Secretary Cardona. Leigh chose social studies instructor Cathy Schager.

Leigh Foran

This is not Leigh’s first big honor.

Far from it.

Next month, she will address the Staples Class of 2024 as its valedictorian.

Earlier this year, Leigh anchored the Wreckers’ 4×800 meter relay team that finished eighth at the indoor track national competition.

With the soccer team, she has won two state championships.

She will continue her academic career at Columbia University, where she will also run track.

Leigh Foran will run track at Columbia University.

Track and soccer take plenty of time. But she also did biomedical research at Yale University, focusing on kidney disease; worked (as the youngest member) with a research team at Norway-based Center for Global Health Inequalities that examined COVID mortality rates, and conducted research locally with Fairfield University’s Dr. Anthony Santella, looking at HIV disparities in healthcare providers. Those findings will be presented at an international conference.

Leigh’s interest in science also led to research with Dr. Kimberly Doughty of Fairfield University on maternal stress in breastfeeding outcomes, and work last summer at the Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, where she learned to code and organize data on autism. She’s been invited back to the Yale Center again this summer.

The Presidential Scholar enjoys writing too. She has been published in the International Youth Sciences journal.

Before high school, Leigh was unsure of her interests. As a freshman, she realized during Black Lives Matter and Asian Pacific Islander rallies that disparities in backgrounds and socioeconomic status can lead to differing healthcare outcomes. In school, she merged academics with activism. That led to her involvement with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, a New Haven-based non-profit organization. She helped provide information to clients navigating the U.S. healthcare system.

Closer to home Foran, who is half Korean and half Irish, teamed up with a friend to start IDEA (Inclusion and Diversity through Education and Awareness). The Staples club teaches young children about the importance of inclusivity, particularly with peers who may not look like them.

As a sophomore, Leigh’s essay — “Embracing Privilege to Tackle Racism” — placed third in TEAM Westport’s annual teen diversity contest.

Leigh Foran, with fellow 2022 TEAM Westport essay winners Colin Morgeson and Ian Patton.

She also volunteers with the Save the Children Action Network, and at Norwalk Hospital.

But that’s still not all. At Staples, Foran is a member of Link Crew, the support program for freshmen; president of the Math National Honor Society; co-president of the National Honor Society; vice president of the Science National Honor Society, and a member of both the Spanish and Social Studies National Honor Societies.

Oh, yeah: She also won a National Merit Scholarship.

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