Humans Of AISG: Hayden Anthony Heffner

If you are on the High School Tennis Team or Habitat For Humanity, you may have heard of Hayden Heffner. Hayden thinks that his friends would describe him as “funny, calm and outgoing.” He is currently a Junior, and this year is his second year at AISG. Before AISG, Hayden previously went to school in the US and Uganda.

Hayden was born in Ohio and has lived twelve years in Virginia and two years in New Mexico. He attended elementary school in Virginia. He then moved to Uganda because of his father’s job as a diplomat. 

When questioned about how his father’s job affects his lifestyle, Hayden replied, “I think its fun, you know, to move around a lot and go to new places.” I think this frequent traveling has affected a big part of who I am today. It’s actually really fun, to go around and experience new cultures. You end up making a lot of cool new friends.”

In Uganda, Hayden attended 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. He then returned to the US and attended his freshman year of high school in New Mexico. Then, his father got a job offer to work at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China.

Naturally, Hayden and his whole family moved to Guangzhou when his dad accepted the offer. Ever since moving to Guangzhou, Hayden has been attending AISG.

When asked about his hobbies, Hayden said, “I mostly like to play sports in my free time. Some sports I enjoy include tennis, soccer, basketball, ping-pong, and swimming. I also like to occasionally walk my dog.”

When asked his favorite foods, Hayden stated, “I like all food, there’s no particular dish or cuisine that I don’t like. If it’s edible, I will give it a try. If I were to pick my favorites, though, I would go with pizza and hotpot. I really like spicy food.”

Hayden is currently focusing on academics and other aspects of school life. “I really want to do well in IB and get the diploma. That’s my main focus right now. I’m also looking into the SAT, and planning to take it sometime next year. After high school, I want to get into a good university and hopefully get a decent job. That’s pretty much my plan for the near future.”

Hayden looks up to his father and grandfather and wants to be the same type of person as them. Hayden remarked “Two people that I really look up to are my dad and grandfather. Some of the qualities that I want to adopt from them are determination, commitment, and perseverance.”