Harry Joseph Hazelton was born on May 30, 1999 in Northampton, MA. At an early age, he was diagnosed with autism, where doctors told his parents that the outlook was bleak. Undeterred by this prognosis, Harry worked very hard to overcome the challenges of his disability. He has made significant strides to be who he is today, and his diagnosis falls in the mildest end of the spectrum. He also credits the shift from what was believed to be an unpromising future to a monumental childhood and adolescence to his close friends and family members (especially his parents, Colleen and Richard, and two younger sisters, Grace and Charlotte) for showing their unwavering support and always believing in him to succeed. After seven years in Northampton, the Hazelton family spent one year in New Rochelle, NY, before moving to Lakeville, CT in 2006. They have resided in Lakeville ever since.
Harry split his private secondary education between Millbrook School in Millbrook, NY and the Marvelwood School in Kent, CT. At both schools, he was part of the Varsity Baseball team in both playing and managing capacities, and served as an alternate captain for Marvelwood his senior year. At Millbrook, he also volunteered on-campus for the Trevor Zoo (the only private school in the United States to have a full-fledged zoo on campus!).
He was also a member of the Marvelwood Wrestling team, and was a Peer Mediator and Dormitory Prefect his senior year. His all-around success in all aspects of school life reached its peak at Marvelwood. Harry received the award for Excellence in Advanced Spanish after his junior year. He also earned two athletic awards: the Perseverance Award in Wrestling after his junior season, and the Team Dedication Award in Baseball following his senior season.
After Marvelwood, Harry took a gap year before starting his higher education at Marist College. Following in the footsteps of his father, he declared an English major (with a concentration in Writing) and has never looked back. In his first semester, he added a minor in Graphic Design, inspired by his passion for video games. After being convinced by a friend, he also added a minor in Spanish, a language he has been studying since the second grade, in his junior year.
Outside of the classroom, Harry managed the Club Baseball Team, worked as a Writing Center tutor, and served on the board of the Delta Alpha Pi honors society. He was also active within the campus community, assisting with various events hosted by the English department and School of Liberal Arts.
Harry's experiences with Marist Club Baseball have been among his fondest memories of his four years as a Red Fox. The club board has praised his work ethic from the bench, highlighting his knowledge of the rules, and his old-school managerial mindset, emphasizing that baseball's mental components are just as important to success as a team's in-game performance. In his junior season (2021-22), the team tied for first place in their division, missing the playoffs via tiebreaker. Following his graduation, the team would later clinch back-to-back division championships in 2024 and 2025.
Harry's Marist career has not been without setbacks, including struggling with peer interactions his freshman year, a foot fracture, and the passing of his grandfather. However, having overcome various obstacles as a child with autism, he knew he was capable of doing the same as an adult, and that's exactly what he did.
A four-time Dean's List recipient, Harry graduated cum laude from Marist, with a Bachelor of Arts, on May 20, 2023. In the summer of 2024, he moved to Philadelphia, where he is currently based.
