Redhounds bound for Princeton, Yale for first time

Two Corbin High School seniors are headed to Ivy League schools in the fall. Tucker Hart plans to study computer science at Yale while Whitney Hopper will study engineering at Princeton. Corbin High School Counselor Toni Carloftis said Hart and Hopper are the first Corbin graduates to attend Ivy League schools.

Two members of Corbin High School’s Class of 2017 are going where no Redhounds have gone before, Ivy League universities Princeton and Yale.

Whitney Hopper has been selected to attend Princeton University, located in New Jersey approximately 50 miles southwest of New York City.

“Its crazy!” Hopper said of being the first Redhound to attend Princeton adding she received her acceptance letter on March 30.

“It was the best one that would accept me,” Hopper said adding she had also been accepted to the University of Kentucky.

“How can you pass up that opportunity?” Hopper added

Tucker Hart will be on the other side of New York City, at Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, 82 miles northeast of New York City.

“It was my only choice,” Hart said of Yale adding he went to the campus over the summer for camp and decided to apply.

“It is pretty cool!” Hart said of being the first Redhound to attend Yale adding he received his acceptance letter on December 1.

Hart said he applied to UK the same day he received the acceptance letter to Yale.

“I had to call them back later that week and tell them I had been accepted by another university.

Hart said when he told his mom, Tonya, she took it well.

“She just said ‘Okay, whatever,’” Hart said. “She wasn’t surprised at all.”

In addition to the fact that it is Yale, Hart said the campus and the city sealed the deal for him.

“The campus just resonated with me with the old architecture,” Hart said. “It is a great atmosphere and it is close to New York.”

Hopper said her parents, Kenneth and Lisa, were ecstatic about the news.

“They actually threw a party for me,” Hopper said adding her mom tells everyone she meets that her daughter is going to Princeton.

Hopper said she has never been to the area.

“It is exciting to go someplace new,” Hopper said.

Hart said while Yale is known for its law and medical programs, Hart said it also has an excellent computer science program.

“I have always really been passionate about computer science and I want to build on those skills,” Hart said adding he has done some freelance web design and programming.

Hart said he would like to earn a Masters Degree in Computer Science and then do something in the research area in the short term.

“Then more long term, I would like to get a job with a company and end up wherever that takes me,” Hart said. “It would be cool to work at Google.”

Hopper said while she is majoring in engineering because of her love of math and science, she has not chosen what field of engineering she would like to go into.

“I have always been stronger at math and science so engineering seemed logical,” Hopper said.

To any students considering an Ivy League school, Hart and Hopper advised them to apply and see what happens.

“I thought I was going to UK but it surprised me,” Hopper said.

“You have to stand out in other places besides test scores,” Hart added. “Everyone applying has the test scores needed to get accepted. The rest is you showing them that you are unique enough to matter to their campus.”