Los Alamos senior Watkins heads to Oregon State for biology

Hayden Watkins will head to Oregon State University in the fall to study biology, backed in part by the local Knights of Columbus Scholarship, as Los Alamos High School seniors turn graduation plans into college moves. His path adds another Los Alamos name to the steady stream of graduates heading into science, health care and research far beyond Northern New Mexico.

At Los Alamos High School, Watkins spent all four years on the football field as the quarterback and kicker and also played baseball for four years. That combination of athletics and academics is familiar in a community where many students build records that can travel with them to larger campuses and specialized majors.

The scholarship matters as much as the destination. Knights of Columbus Council 3137 raises money for college aid through the IHM Lenten Friday Fish Fry dinners, and those efforts help the council offer scholarships to Los Alamos High School graduates. Watkins’ award fits a broader local pattern, with community organizations providing multiple scholarships each year and helping make college costs more manageable for seniors.

Oregon State gives Watkins a very different setting in Corvallis, Oregon, but one that lines up with the demands of a biology degree. The university says its biology major emphasizes hands-on research, internships and study abroad opportunities, and prepares students for graduate and professional programs such as medical school, dental school, pharmacy school and Ph.D. programs. The College of Science also points students toward undergraduate research and career guidance, adding structure for students who want to move from classroom study into lab work, health fields or advanced study.

Watkins’ senior profile was published May 19, 2026, as part of the Los Alamos Reporter’s Class of 2026 series, just ahead of the Los Alamos High School graduation set for Saturday, May 23, at Sullivan Field at 9 a.m., with no tickets required. For Los Alamos, his next step shows how a local scholarship, years of commitment on the field and a clear academic direction can come together in one student’s move toward biology.