A Passion for Animals Leads UMO Student Harley Marie Haley to NCSU Vet School
March 25, 2026
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
MOUNT OLIVE – Long before she stepped into a college laboratory or attended a veterinary school interview, Harley Marie Haley already knew what she wanted to be. There is even photographic evidence. “In first grade, I dressed up as a veterinarian for career day,” Haley said with a laugh. “I had a white coat, a stuffed animal, and a stethoscope.”
For Haley, a Veterinary Bioscience major at the University of Mount Olive (UMO), that childhood dream has now taken a major step forward. She has been accepted into the Veterinary Bioscience program at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and will begin classes in August.
Haley’s path toward veterinary medicine began in Wayne County. Much of her childhood was spent on her grandparents’ property in Seven Springs, where her connection to agriculture and animals took root. “My grandparents own about 22 acres, and I spent a lot of time there growing up,” she said. “We had farm dogs and I even had donkeys across the road that were considered mine. I always felt connected to the land and the animals.”
That connection grew through hands-on experience. Haley worked in poultry houses, helped with tobacco production, and took summer courses in farm production and animal science at Wayne Community College, later assisting with the same program. At Charles B. Aycock High School, she became active in FFA, earning her State Degree, competing in livestock shows, and helping launch a new opportunity for others. “With my advisor, Mrs. Rebecca Capps, I was the first student at my school to begin showing animals through FFA,” Haley said. “Now more students are involved, which has been exciting to see.”
Those early agricultural experiences eventually shaped Haley’s interest in veterinary medicine, particularly in the area of food animal care. “When people think about veterinarians, they often think about dogs and cats,” she said. “But growing up here helped me understand how important livestock and food animal production are. Farmers are feeding communities, and veterinarians play a big role in helping support that.”
Haley began her studies at UMO in August of 2024 after graduating high school with an associate degree already completed. She said UMO’s smaller campus and personal environment made it the right fit. “I wanted to go somewhere where professors really know their students,” she said. “That close-knit environment made a big difference for me.”
Now entering her final year, Haley holds a 3.5 GPA and is majoring in veterinary bioscience with a minor in chemistry. Courses such as anatomy and physiology with Dr. Will Farmer and microbiology with Professor Sarah Jackson strengthened her interest in medical science. She also credits Dr. Jared Locklear as a key mentor. “Dr. Locklear became someone I could always go to for guidance,” she said. “He encouraged me to challenge myself academically while and reminded me that difficult days are part of the growth process.”
Outside the classroom, Haley has embraced UMO’s hands-on learning opportunities through lab work, experiences at the Kornegay Student Farm, and undergraduate research. A recent project examining deer populations broadened her understanding of animal health. “It helped me see how wildlife, agriculture, and disease all connect,” she said.
She has also remained active in campus and community organizations, including StageStruck Productions, the Wayne County Agricultural Fair Board, TriBeta Biological Honor Society, the Animal Science Club, and Young Farmers and Ranchers. Balancing those commitments alongside a demanding academic schedule has helped her develop the discipline she knows veterinary school will require.
The application process itself was both exciting and humbling. Haley received interview invitations from several veterinary programs, including one at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. “Receiving multiple invitations felt like validation that all the hard work was paying off,” she said.
In the end, however, the decision came back to home and agriculture. NCSU’s strong reputation in food animal medicine and its close ties to North Carolina’s agricultural industry made it the right choice. Haley was named a NCSU Food Animal Scholar Alternate, recognition that reflects her commitment to working with livestock and supporting agricultural producers. “That means a lot to me because it reinforces the direction I want to go in veterinary medicine,” she said.
Haley credits much of her motivation to the influence of her family. Her mother, Christy Straughan-Haley, an assistant principal, instilled the value of education early. “She always told me that education is the one thing no one can ever take away from you,” Haley said. Her stepfather, David Battisti, a math teacher, has also encouraged her to think critically about her work and constantly look for ways to improve.
Looking ahead, Haley hopes to serve rural communities as a food animal veterinarian. “Rural areas often have fewer veterinary resources,” she said. “I want to support those communities and build relationships with the producers who depend on their animals.”
For Haley, the journey from Wayne County farmland to one of the nation’s leading veterinary programs feels like a natural continuation of where she began. “I’ve always felt connected to agriculture and the people who work in it,” she said. “Being able to give back through veterinary medicine is what motivates me.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
