What years did you go to Stacey? Did you graduate from here?
I moved to Stacey in 7th grade and stayed until I graduated in 2014. Before that, I moved every three years, but I was lucky enough to stay in one place long enough to make friends and feel like I had a home base.
What are some of your favorite memories of attending Stacey?
I lived on Medina base for a lot of my middle school/high school years and the friends I made there became lifelong and the memories will always stay with me. We had evenings of 'man hunt' or hide and seek tag. Vance and Xavier were my "homies" and we referred to ourselves as the "Medina Crew". So pretty much every memory with my friends there is a favorite memory. I also have very fond memories of sports, my AP classes, and all of the volunteer opportunities Stacey provided to students who wanted to do some good.
What do you think were some advantages and disadvantages of going to a small school?
BIG advantage was how many different activities I could do. I was able to be the president of my class, student council chair, 1/3 students in my AP calculus class (Brian, Benson, and Mr. Fernandez, if you are reading this-what's up fellas! I miss you), I was able to do three sports at a time (XC, volleyball, and basketball) it was great to have those opportunities and I was only able to do that because our school was so small and accommodating to the students. A disadvantage of going to a school as small as Stacey would be how hard it was to get rank with your GPA when you graduate... a lot of us had above a 4.0 and I think our valedictorian had a 5.0! I used to say the lack of 'privacy' was a disadvantage but I think as I've gotten older I've seen it differently. There are a lot of people around that care about you and sometimes that means they're gonna get in your business. It is harder for us to fall through the cracks that way and it is so important to have community.
Do you have any advice for current seniors at Stacey?
The same advice I had at graduation.. to change your email address if you created it in middle school. Mine was a derivative of the Dorito chip. Job and college applications do not want to know that you love the spicy nacho chip that sounds like your last name.
However, now that I am living a life far from the one I planned as a senior in high school, I'd say to not be too hard on yourself and to make sure that you are doing things for yourself. If you can't answer the question "what do you do for fun?" you need to take a second. Think of yourself. Love yourself. It is ok to be selfish and break the mold.
We found an old article where you were on the first Stacey cross-country team to make it to State (in 2012). Tell us about that experience.
Honestly it was the first time I ever experienced "happy tears." I saw our team on the posted paper as 3rd place and I started to laugh and cry a little uncontrollably. I was not a great cross country runner on my own but with my team, I was able to go somewhere I never thought I would. Going back to the disadvantages of a small school, we don't often have enough runners to make it as a team and we would have to compete individually. Some athletes made it in the past but I think we were the first girls team to make it together.
Are you still in touch with any of your friends from back then?
Yes. Some of my longest friendships started at Stacey. I went to one of my best friends' weddings last August in Oklahoma- Brimo! I am so amazed by the woman she is. She is still the same beautiful soul but now a WOMAN. I've never been good at keeping in touch with people after I move somewhere else but even after a while of not talking there are some friends that can just call or text and it's like time doesn't have to be a factor. We're not offended by the passing of time and just want to make sure we are still ok and know that we still love each other. I'm lucky to have found people like that.
Where did you go to college and what did you major in?
I started at Alamo colleges and went to all five of them before transferring to The University of the Incarnate Word for nursing. If I completed the program, I would have graduated at the start of the pandemic. I do not have my degree and I am not going back to school until it makes sense financially.
Where do you live now?
I moved to Tahoe, CA last November with my dog to learn to snowboard and do something new (I grew up mostly in Texas so no snow sports for me before this... ). I bought a van last summer and converted it (very amateurly... it is NOT what you see on Instagram's for 'van life') to live in... eventually more full time. I worked as a housekeeper and at the resort so I was able to get a free pass and could
shred the gnar for free. I have recently quit my job, as I worked for a greedy housing management company that is contributing to the housing crisis in my area. It didn't feel right to support them or be a part of something like that. I'm now actually working on starting my own business in the area and I hope that will give me more freedom. I also love not having to work for "the man".
Thank you, Haylie. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I really wanted to shout out Mr. Fernandez and Coach Smith. They meant so much to me and I wanted to thank them for everything. I can't speak for everyone but as a military child I think it was really important to have "parental-like" figures outside of my home. My parents are amazing and have sacrificed their own lives and personal freedom to make sure that we had opportunity and a home. The military provides our families with a steady income and housing and safety but it also causes a lot of stress to the family unit. It's important to be seen and feel like you have a purpose outside of following the rules and being disciplined. In high school that became math and sports. Thank you to all of the Stacey faculty and staff for being more than teachers but being my extended family.
