The High Point Legacy: Alumni Spotlight: Madeleine Waller (’09)

“I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes . . .” —Anonymous

From a talented gymnast to an MIT graduate, Madeleine was bound to succeed.

My brief bio—

I currently live in Northern Virginia, working full time as an electrical engineer. I’ve been a part of the workforce for the past two years, after completing my Bachelor of Science (2017) and Masters of Engineering (2018) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I love all things technical, but in my free time I’ve taken up wood working, rock climbing and Krav Maga—a self-defense technique that is a combination of karate, wrestling and other disciplines.

My High Point experience—

I transferred into High Point in the 4th grade, and it has always held a special place in my heart—it was the place where I first learned to love math and science, a passion that has remained with me to the present. Not only did the school have strong academics, but it provided an incredible community. In fact, I met three of my closest friends there, and to this day we all remain in frequent contact, skyping whenever we can.

I attended Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena after graduating from High Point. Throughout my high school years, I went back occasionally to visit all my former teachers at High Point, but living out of state now for college and work, I haven’t had the chance to return recently. The last opportunity was a memorable one: our five year reunion.

Personal observations and reflections—

My favorite year at High Point was the 6th grade because it was chalk full of fun, educational activities, and it was the only time in my life where I recall actually enjoying studying history (my least favorite subject to this day). In our ancient civilizations units, we held an Egyptian fashion show and, my favorite, the Greek Olympics, featuring both an academic decathlon and team athletic competitions that we spent weeks preparing for in advance.

The last two years at High Point were the cornerstone that laid the groundwork for my future academic success in an engineering field. High Point had an advanced track that enabled students to study high school-level algebra and geometry. Taking these advanced classes prior to entering high school allowed me to jump straight into trigonometry as a freshmen, which began my journey down an advanced math track that put me ahead of the curve even as a freshman in college.