Hailey Stanzel Finds Confidence and Community on Her Path to Health Care

For Hailey Stanzel, her journey to becoming a Queen Alalah finalist is something she never could have imagined just a year ago.

“I was so surprised when I was selected as a finalist,” Stanzel said. “If I had told my last-year self about this, I wouldn’t have believed you.”

The 18-year-old pre-nursing student from Manhattan, Kansas, is one of five finalists for Queen Alalah XCIV. A 3.91 GPA student, CNA and Cowley College cheerleader, Stanzel has already accomplished a great deal at a young age while building a future in health care.

Stanzel graduated from Rocket Online a year early, finishing high school at just 16 years old. She began working in health care at 15 and currently works as a certified nursing assistant. Her experience has included home health, ECG telemetry, hospitals and nursing homes.

Her interest in health care comes naturally. Both of her parents, Amanda and Derek Stanzel, are nurses. Her father works at Fort Riley, while her mother works in home health. Growing up around health care helped inspire Stanzel to pursue a career of her own.

“I originally wanted to pursue nursing and was scared that I wasn’t ‘smart enough’ to be a physician,” Stanzel said.

That uncertainty has since turned into a much bigger goal. After Cowley, Stanzel plans to attend a four-year university, continue cheering and pursue a bachelor's degree in biology with a pre-physician assistant emphasis. Her ultimate goal is to become a physician assistant by age 23.

Cheerleading is after all what brought Stanzel to Cowley in the first place.

“I chose to attend Cowley because of cheer,” she said. “I wanted to continue cheer at the college level and Cowley was the perfect fit for me.”

What she found at Cowley, however, has extended well beyond the cheer mat. Stanzel serves as a Student Ambassador and an officer for Phi Theta Kappa, giving her opportunities to become involved on campus and connect with people from across the college.

Those connections have been especially meaningful because Stanzel spent her final year of high school attending school online.

“Since I did online school my last year, I didn’t get very involved in high school,” Stanzel said. “So, I’m surprised at how many friends and connections I’ve made here at Cowley.”

Now, the Manhattan native is embracing another experience that has pushed her outside of her comfort zone.

Being named a Queen Alalah finalist has given Stanzel the opportunity to become even more involved with the Cowley and Arkansas City communities while experiencing one of the area's longest-standing traditions.

Over the five weeks leading up to Coronation, she and the other finalists will meet with local service organizations, appear on radio shows, participate in Chamber Coffee, take part in formal and themed photo shoots, attend Dodgeballalah and the Queens Tea, and experience other Arkalalah activities.

For Stanzel, the experience is a reminder of just how much can change in a short amount of time. The girl who spent her final year of high school largely away from campus life is now surrounded by new friends, taking on leadership roles and preparing to stand on stage as a Queen Alalah finalist.

“It feels surreal,” Stanzel said.

On Oct. 30, Stanzel will join Edee Boatman, Carsen Carpenter, Ashleigh Gray and Avery Smith for the Queen Alalah XCIV Coronation. Regardless of the outcome, her time at Cowley has already given her something she never expected: a community where she feels connected, supported and confident enough to chase a future she once wondered if she was capable of reaching.

Hunter Ferguson | Integrated Communications Specialist
Cowley College
125 S. 2nd Street
Arkansas City, KS 67005
hunter.ferguson@cowley.edu