Blending science and entrepreneurship
Air Force veteran. NFL cheerleader. Entrepreneur. Penn State alum. These are just a few ways to describe Haley McClain Hill, a Penn State Eberly College of Science alumna and founder and CEO of TORCH Warriorwear.
Hill began her Penn State journey in 2014, when she enrolled as a first-year chemistry major and joined the Air Force ROTC program on campus. Shortly after, she switched to math with a concentration in economics. Her passions for gymnastics and cheerleading led her to be recruited to Penn State’s cheerleading team, and eventually to the National Football League, where she cheered for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.
It was her experiences serving in the Air Force and being a cheerleader at Penn State and in the NFL that inspired her to do something she never dreamed of — starting her own business.
“I think it was my duality of being a cheerleader and then being in the military; I always felt like I looked by best in my cheerleading uniforms and never felt good in my military uniform,” Hill said. “I wondered if I could mesh these two worlds together, where I can feel more confident. And so, I think a lot of other women felt the same pain.”
She went to California as part of the Air Force and in 2021, she launched her business —TORCH Warriorwear, which is a military apparel brand created by women for women. They sell bodysuits as a T-shirt alternative for soldiers to wear underneath their uniforms. Since their clothing is approved by the military, soldiers can buy the items directly from TORCH Warriorwear or the military is able to buy a bulk order for their unit.
Looking back, Hill’s ideas of what she wanted to be when she grew up changed with her stages of life. From wanting to be a veterinarian to an anesthesiologist to a recruiter in the Air Force and eventually finding her path as an entrepreneur. What helps her to be a successful business-owner is skills she learned from her time at Penn State studying math.
“I go back to my proof writing class, and it was so abstract that you would have to stretch your brain and constantly be in this imagination world of this is why something works, and this is how you explain it,” Hill said. “Training my brain to think this way has allowed me to be very creative in problem solving. That’s the key, especially to running a creative fashion brand, you have to do things differently and think outside the box.”
In March, Hill came back to her alma mater for Penn State Start Up Week, which brings together Penn State students and alumni entrepreneurs for a weeklong event full of keynote speakers, workshops, and networking. She presented a few talks, connected with students, and shared some advice during her time back at Penn State.
“Start off with events like Penn State Start Up Week, because they can branch you off and connect you with the people that you need to be connected with,” she said. “The other thing is voice your ideas, and don’t be afraid. If you have an idea, write it down and put yourself in an entrepreneurial environment like Invent Penn State. No idea is a bad idea, explore them and surround yourself with other entrepreneurs.”
Hill remains involved with entrepreneurship at Penn State and is committed to helping current students with their business ideas. She’s a member of the Entrepreneur in Residence program, where she is a contracted expert and mentor consultant. This is just one of the ways that she gives back to the University, which has given her the opportunity to achieve something she never knew she wanted.
“A lot of people in the entrepreneurial world come with degrees from Harvard Business School and others, and to say that I got a math degree from Penn State — it’s a big deal,” Hill said. “I encourage students to keep pushing and know, at the end of the day, it’s an awesome talking point and an awesome community; I’m grateful for Penn State.”