Recent grads Hayden ‘24 and Haylee ‘24 Calaman have a lot in common. Career paths aren’t one of them.
Sisters Hayden and Haylee Calaman first found out about Wilkes University as successful softball student-athletes while at Elizabethtown Area High School, south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “We met coach Jackie (Wilkes Head Softball Coach Jackie Klahold MS ‘15) through tournaments, and so we looked into Wilkes,” said Hayden.
At first, neither Hayden nor Haylee were interested in going to a smaller school. “I wanted to go to a bigger school, like Penn State,” said Haylee, and Hayden added, “I had applied to one school, and that was in West Virginia.” After meeting with Coach Jackie, though, they reconsidered. They visited the Wilkes campus and met members of the softball team, and not only found a new home, but two very different majors they could pursue on the same campus.
Haylee had been interested in nursing since before COVID when she had an internship at a residential care home, where the director noticed that she had a knack for caregiving. “He said you should really look at nursing programs because you’d be a great nurse.” Hayden wanted to be an engineer, and at Wilkes, she had her pick of programs including mechanical, electrical, environmental and civil engineering. “I started with mechanical engineering, but as I took more classes I found civil engineering was better suited for me, so I switched.”
At first, when they arrived on campus it was difficult to meet people because COVID limited the opportunities to meet new friends. But the softball team took care of that. “The team members were the first people we met here, and all four years we’ve all stuck together like a tight-knit family,” said Hayden, who, as number 18, played infield and garnered a Landmark Conference Honorable Mention as shortstop in 2024. Haylee, number 8, also played infield and was named Wilkes Athlete of the Week on April 29, 2024.
So how did these two sisters, both with challenging majors, learn to balance academics and athletics? Said Hayden, “It’s important to have fun with your friends, but you have to set aside that time to get your schoolwork done. If you don’t take that as a priority, you’re setting yourself up for failure.” Haylee added, “It’s about time management. You can plan time to have fun with your friends, but also knowing that you have to get work done first.”
Going to a small school had its advantages for the sisters, including support from their professors. “Honestly, all of my engineering professors have helped me along the way and have been there for me,” said Hayden. “Dr. (Prahlad) Murthy was my advisor, and he was there when I needed to talk. His door was always open,” she said. “Dr. (Holly) Frederick is amazing, too. She taught a lot of the civil engineering classes. The department is great,” Hayden added.
For Haylee, all of the Passan School of Nursing professors were instrumental in her success. “A lot of people really helped me, like my advisor Dr. (Emily) Havrilla,” she said. “I always enjoyed having classes with Dr. (Joyce) Victor. She would communicate with us not only about school but personally, too.”
The sisters’ Wilkes experience gave them something else as well—jobs. Both Hayden and Haylee were already employed before they walked across the stage to accept their diplomas. Hayden, having acquired an engineering internship before her senior year at a bridge manufacturing company near her hometown, was offered a full time position there. “It is a crossover between mechanical and civil engineering, and I really enjoy working there,” said Hayden.
Haylee is also employed, having accepted a nursing position in the Emergency Department Observation Unit of the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, one of the best hospitals in the nation. Perhaps the only people more excited about Hayden and Haylee’s jobs are their parents. “They’re definitely relieved that we’re both employed!” laughed Hayden.
Hayden and Haylee’s Top Five Wilkes Faves
1. Favorite study spot:
Haylee: Crack-down studying or friend-studying? For friend-studying, definitely Starbucks. Crack-down—the library.
Hayden: The big second-floor classroom in the Simms Center. You can go with a bunch of friends and use the monitors. Also, the conference rooms in Cohen that overlook the river. It’s so pretty there. We’d go between classes, watch the river and people-watch, too.
2. Favorite place to meet friends:
Hayden: We live with a lot of our friends off-campus, so I would say my apartment.
Haylee: Same. We live in different apartments, they’re close, though. Only one street away.
3. Favorite food on or off-campus:
Hayden: Angelo’s pizza.
Haylee: I’ll say Jerry’s Place.
Hayden: They both make great pizza.
4. Favorite class:
Hayden: Statics and Dynamics. I took them in my second year with Dr. Badour and Dr. Bednarz.
Haylee: The NCLEX prep class was great. That’s the test you need to pass when you graduate. Also Advanced Care Concepts.
5. Favorite memory:
Hayden: This softball season (spring 2024) has been really good. And beating Moravian. I would say that is the best memory.
Haylee: Definitely. I would say the same.
