A dirt covered arena, around ten horses standing along the fence, the smell of fresh cut grass, and a sea of riders dressed in tan pants, a navy jacket, and tall black boots. This is a typical Sunday for IUP English Equestrian Team Captain, Hayley Menkins. She assists alongside the team’s coach Liz McCormick making sure that her fellow teammates are not only focused, but having fun.
This is her second year as Captain of the IUP English Equestrian Team. Being the team’s captain has built her leadership skills and taught her to stick up for herself. She is not one to let you step on her toes, but she is always the one to throw out a joke and make you smile.
Hayley is a senior this year, from West Chester, Pennsylvania. Her major is Child Development with an Educational Psychology minor. When picking her major, Hayley first decided on nutrition thinking of following in her sister’s footsteps, but the childen aspect was more on her heart. She has been building on her major by being a member of the Child Development club, where she helps out with food drives and other volunteer opportunities. She is also a student teacher for a preschool class in IUP’s Davis Hall. She plans to apply to earn her Masters in Occupational Therapy, so she can work with children in hospitals in the future.
Hayley’s interest in Equestrian began delivering hay with her grandfather. After a delivery, she was unable to stop talking about the horses. A year later, she got her first horse and now she has five.
Her favorite part of being on the team is meeting all the girls. The team has grown to twice the size it was previously this year, which is going to make this year full of horsing around. The girls really get to know Hayley through weekly meetings, advice at horse shows, and seeing her when she works at the barn where the girls take lessons. Showing brings the rush of race against the clock and going against the norm for Hayley. The Equitation uniform for showing has a strict code to follow, which makes every rider look the same. Hayley enjoys the challenge of trying to fit in the competition norm, when she know that is not what determines her as a rider.
“Why try to fit in, when you are born to stand out,” is Hayley’s motto, because she is never afraid to be herself. So, follow in her steps: get involved, find your passions, and you’ll always stand out in the crowd!