Photo courtesy of Hewitt-Trussville High School.
Four Hewitt-Trussville High School juniors earned recognition from the National Merit Scholars program. From left, Cade Williams, Lyla Hatley, Henry Haynes and Riley Morris.
Four Hewitt-Trussville students have recently earned recognition through the National Merit Scholarship program, although the level of recognition won’t be known until next fall. National Merit Scholarship recognition is awarded to high school juniors who score in the top percentiles on the PSAT. These students are not only high academic achievers; they are also involved in leadership, arts, athletics, faith and service.
CADE WILLIAMS
Photo courtesy of Beth Williams.
Cade Williams is one of four Hewitt-Trussville High School juniors to earn National Merit Scholar recognition. Cade is shown on a mission trip to Atlanta in 2025.
“Let’s just go change something small every day and try to make an impact that way,” said Cade Williams, one of the Hewitt-Trussville High School students recently recognized for National Merit achievement.
Williams attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards in February and now wants to start an Interact Club at HTHS. He wants to give students open access to a service club where they can serve the community.
He takes piano lessons at the First Baptist Trussville Conservatory and is a member of the HTHS mountain bike team, which recently finished top in the state.
Williams’ favorite classes are the sciences.
“I really like sciences because I like to understand more about the world around me. I love all the teachers at our school … they’re all so good at what they do.”
Faith also plays a major role in what motivates Williams. He is an active member at First Baptist Trussville and leads two launch groups, which are like Bible study groups, of fourth- and seventh-grade boys.
“We’re all called to make the most of what we have as we can and to just use that to help others and to serve God. I’m a Christian. I love God. He’s changed my life,” he said.
In his academic journey, probably the most influential person has been his mom.
“She is just making sure I’m staying on top of things … and that I’m always pushing myself,” Williams said.
Williams then shared, “My goal is to help lead a generation of better leaders because I feel like today we have such a leadership drought.”
Williams’ top two college choices right now are Auburn and Samford, and he leans toward a major in science — maybe the medical field.
RILEY MORRIS
Photo courtesy of Virginia Morris.
Riley Morris is one of four Hewitt-Trussville High School juniors to earn National Merit Scholar recognition.
“Psychology changed the way I see the world,” said Riley Morris of one of his favorite classes. “It was so interesting to learn what makes me be me and what goes on in my brain.”
A member of the band since sixth grade, music is a favorite for Morris. He was a member of the Hewitt-Trussville High School jazz band for the past three years. He received the 2026 Glenn Spiller SoloFest Award, one of the highest individual honors awarded to Alabama high school band students. He will focus on wind ensemble and marching as a drum major his senior year.
“I like to practice my saxophone about every day, especially during the school year to prepare for All-State,” Morris said.
His favorite summer reading book going into his sophomore year was “Lord of the Flies.”
Morris works part-time at Chick-fil-A, and this summer he will complete an internship at Laempe Reich in Trussville.
Morris credits his parents for their influence on his academic journey.
“My parents have always pushed me to be the best I can be.”
Morris is very involved in the community.
“We had a leadership retreat … with attendees nominated by our teachers. I also helped out at Independence Place, and I’ve helped with my church [Clearbranch Methodist], including mission trips. I’m going on one this summer in Mexico.”
One word that describes Morris’ high school experience is “change.”
“I have to be flexible and adaptable,” Morris said. “This is kind of a bridge between what I’m doing now and what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.”
Morris plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama.
HENRY HAYNES
Photo courtesy of Cailyn Haynes.
Henry Haynes serves with family at Men’s Firehouse Shelter. He is one of four Hewitt-Trussville High School juniors to earn National Merit Scholar recognition.
“I want to be a supportive person,” said Henry Haynes of one of his goals.
“I want to help people achieve their dreams and to find out what they want to be in life and to help them grow.”
This past year, he ran track. He enjoys working out and weightlifting. His favorite classes are math, science and history. He also really enjoys his engineering classes.
Haynes has learned to balance academics and a social life.
“One of the easiest ways for me to balance academics with social life is maybe a month before finals, I would have friends come over and we’d study together. The other part is to be diligent in school. You can have fun while doing your homework in school.”
Haynes continued. “I like to set goals. It helps me. I can have a lot going on, but whenever I’m practicing or studying, it helps me kind of forget about what’s going on. It helps me achieve my goals and manage stress.”
Haynes says probably the most influential person in his academic journey is his brother McCord.
“He’s two years older than me, and he did great. He got a 35 on his ACT and took all the AP classes, and it’s helped to have someone a little bit ahead of me who set a high bar for me to achieve.”
Haynes’ favorite book is “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis.
“I love all of C.S. Lewis’ books. I’m actually reading another one right now. ‘The Screwtape Letters’ was a very profound book, and it helped me think through a lot of my own life.”
Haynes is a member of Faith Community Fellowship, and he went on a mission trip a couple of years ago.
Haynes plans to attend Auburn or UAH and major in engineering.
LYLA HATLEY
Photo courtesy of Kelli Hatley.
Lyla Hatley is one of four Hewitt-Trussville High School juniors to earn National Merit Scholar recognition.
“I’ve learned that I can do hard things.” That’s what Lyla Hatley has discovered about herself in high school.
“I am a lot more confident in my abilities. Before, I thought, ‘I don’t know where I’m going with that,’ but I think I’ve proven to myself what I can do, and I think I’m a lot more confident.”
Hatley is a member of the HTHS tennis team, is part of the business leadership academy, is a member of FBLA, and is involved with Leadership HT and the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society.
In addition to tennis, Hatley’s hobbies include arts and crafts and reading.
Hatley’s favorite subjects are math and chemistry, and her teachers have motivated her.
“Having great teachers who pushed me — and realizing what I could do — motivated me to work harder and set goals for myself.”
Her parents have greatly influenced her academic journey.
“My parents both went to college, and they are kind of interested in the same things I am. They both work in finance, and so we have kind of the same logistical brains.”
Hatley’s study habits include a lot of practice.
“I work hard outside of school, but it’s mostly working on practice assignments and getting homework done. I learn a lot through practice problems. I don’t do much note writing because it just doesn’t help me.”
Hatley continued. “I keep a planner of every single day — every important event coming up. I really just try to stay organized and make sure I know everything I need to do each day.”
Hatley is a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Trussville.
Hatley plans to study at the University of Alabama and become a financial analyst.
Whether discussing leadership, engineering, service, faith, medicine or finance, or simply “changing something small every day,” the students shared a common theme: success is not only about scores but about using their talents with purpose.
