Hometown: Newport Beach, CA
Major: American Studies
“She’s elegance and taste…” Although she aspired to step onto the USC cheerleading squad once upon a time, Heather May should have considered the world of pageantry. When she hailed me over to her table at Willoughby’s on a sunny Monday morning, Heather’s cheerful, ringing voice turned heads. Her commanding smile and undeniable poise catches attention, even of those over-caffeinated grad students. No wonder, then, that Heather May has taken all fronts of Yale by storm.
Most Californians crumble under the climactic punches thrown by New Haven. That is, the sudden switch from a tropical heaven to Yale’s cold, icy, hell-frozen-over ambiance usually throws beach bums for a loop. Not Heather. She is a self-professed “California girl, definitely…I love going to the beach, nice weather, the outdoors,” but doesn’t mind what she calls a “new, exciting experience,” even though she admits leaving home was hard. “I lived in California my whole life, in this Newport Beach bubble. Not that the bubble is a terrible thing, it’s home. But coming to the northeast opened my eyes and gave me a great new perspective. I mean, everyday it makes me appreciate things at home in a different way. I would definitely be a different person if I’d chosen to stay in SoCal.”
Why on earth would Heather willingly choose to leave the land of the sun? The competition, of course. “Yale is one of the nation’s best sailing teams. It was actually the first collegiate sailing team – we were women’s national sailing champs two to three years ago. Also, as of this past weekend, we are Ivy League Championshions!”
Heather began her successful sailing career when her mother signed her up on a whim. Before Yale, she lettered in sailing all four years in high school and represented the US in the 2009 International World Championships. Just last year, she was named to all-NEISA First Crew’s Team, came in 4th in the A division at the Victorian Urn, and ranked 1st in the A division at the ICSA Women’s Semifinals in fifth grade (just to hand pick a few accomplishments off of Heather’s extremely long list of them).
Heather has competed in many sports, “even synchronized swimming, at one point,” but sailing was “so different. It combines everything I love most: the water, the sun, the physical, the mental…”
Seeing my blank face, she attempted to explain, “Let’s see…the hardest points of sailing are the mental side. You have to learn how to work at angles according to the wind, which is constantly changing on a minute-by-minute basis. You have to be attentive to angles, sailing upwind and downwind at 90-degree angles. Each race is about 20 minutes long, against about 17 other boats, and every second requires calculations, recalculations, and instant responses. Even sailing on certain sides of the boat can completely change your race. You also have to be strong. Sailing is a weird, wonderful combination of being one with the weather and being physical.”
How uncouth is the world of sailing? I wonder out loud. Is there truth behind the old “sailor’s mouth” saying? Heather chuckles, “The sailor’s mouth absolutely exists. Things will be said out on the water. According to the ‘Corinthian spirit,’ you are supposed to ‘sail fair.’ This means that judges can penalize me for swearing. That doesn’t really stop us, though.” Looking at Heather’s wide, happy smile, I find it difficult to imagine anything vulgar spilling from her lips. Then again, like in the glitzy world of pageantry, there can be the nasty backstage moments in any cutthroat competition.
Sailor by day and president by night, somehow, Heather May has a double life reminiscent of Hannah Montana. She started as VP of Development for Kappa Alpha Theta, which she “loved doing. I planned sisterhood events and social events. My biggest goal was to show girls what a special thing it is to be a part of Theta. You’re going to be running into Thetas for the rest of your life. I just had a phone interview with a former Theta yesterday, actually! As President, my objective is pretty much the same. I want to make the most of these girls’ time at Theta.”
Maintaining the balance can be “very challenging. But they are two things I love to do, so I find time to make it work. Thanks to the other seven girls on exec – they are amazing, I can always count on them when I’m away – it is pretty easy to stay organized. Also, thanks to technology, I can be at my regatta and e-mail people on my phone at the same time. It can be stressful, but it is just as – no, even more – rewarding.”
So then, which of her identities does she identify with the most? “You know, I feel like it’s half and half between Theta and sailing. I grew up with Greek life. Both of my parents were involved in Greek life. My mom was the president of her sorority in college too, actually. That being said, I’ve been sailing since I was ten. My coach always asks what the point of being in a sorority at Yale is, since sororities in the Northeast aren’t as huge of a deal. I just tell him it’s a type of bonding you can’t get from being on a coed athletic team. You end up meeting similar-minded girls, like on sailing, but with a more diverse set of interests.”
A quick skim over her Yale Bulldogs profile showed me that she was a part of Yale Ducks Unlimited. Intrigued, I asked Heather to explain. “Ha! Everyone wants to know what Yale Ducks is… It is a wetlands conservation and hunting group that two friends and I started last year. I’m the only girl in the club, which can be interesting at times. I love hunting, though. It started as something fun to do with my dad, who has been hunting his entire life, and brother. Now, it’s a nice escape from Yale.”
How does her American Studies major, with a US American Politics focus, fit into the general fold of Heather May’s life at Yale? Unsurprisingly, she hopes to work in D.C. this summer. “Politics in the media, maybe CNN?” Heather’s interest in politics really grew when she learned how much her sister, a Harvard grad, adored working for a congressman in Kentucky. “I don’t want to follow in her footsteps, but I have to do what I love. If we both end up in D.C., my mom – she’s my best friend, she wants us all together – won’t be thrilled. But, again, I have to do what I love. At this point, I would really do any internship!” Something tells me that Heather May won’t have any problem locking down the internship of her dreams.