Looking Beyond

On the field and in the classroom, Hailey Hunter ’24 fully commits to getting the most out of her time at Central.

My time at Central College has been full of endless opportunities, new experiences and personal growth. Choosing Central was easy and is one of the best decisions I have ever made. It’s a community like no other, and to put it simply, I love it here.

When you first get to college, you’re trying to figure yourself out. Now in my final year here, it’s fun to look back on how much I’ve changed and far I’ve come.

Being a student-athlete is an experience in itself, but when I began looking beyond just going to class and playing soccer, that’s when my dreams became bigger and my passions grew stronger.

Coming to college, I knew that I wanted to be involved, but I didn’t know where I wanted to start. I found that everything I was passionate about and wanted to do in my four years at Central was rooted in people. My blossoming friendships, the connections I was making with faculty and staff and the everyday interactions I had on campus are at the heart of where my journey truly began.

I allowed the academic and athletic sides of my life to branch out during my second year at Central. I declared a major in communication studies, became a Student Orientation Staff Leader, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and a student employee. Connection and relationships became my drive in an effort to make campus a place people love as much as I do.

I grew in confidence and leadership as I got to know so many different people and pieces of what make Central, Central. All of it led me to my work study position in the Communications Office where I’ve been able to do exactly what I’m passionate about. I get to hear and tell the stories of Central and then I get to share my own experiences from behind the scenes (just like now).

You can do so much in this small town, and you can travel far from it and still experience what it means to be at Central and a member of the Central family.

One of my most memorable experiences was the women’s soccer trip to Europe. Playing soccer and experiencing entirely different cultures in the Netherlands and Germany, wearing red and white and the Central “C,” was surreal and an honor I will never forget.

Central offers so many incredible opportunities to travel abroad that I think are so important. It just goes to show no matter how far you wander from Pella, you always have that tie back to your home away from home.

I’ll be sharing all of the good about Central for a very long time — reminiscing on the last years of my soccer career, the memories I made with my best friends, the work I did, the people I knew and the best four years of my life. I credit younger me (as well as everyone who has impacted my time at Central) with all that I’ve gotten to experience. I was looking for more when I looked beyond the classroom and soccer field and was amazed by all I found.

A piece of my heart will always be at Central. And I know that sense of pride, my love for this place and community and my experiences will always draw me back home.