Sensational Seniors: Maddie Hays ’25

When Maddie Hayes got to Simpson, she thought she had her plan all figured out. But she found all kinds of new paths to explore.

“I think my freshman self would laugh at me,” she said. “I wrote an article in the Simpsonian about ‘All My Nevers.’” As Hays wrote in her column, “Never would I change my major. Never would I do a sport other than soccer. Never would I be a part of student media.”

Hays was wrong. She changed her major from elementary education to marketing communication and business management. She joined track and field, setting three school records while earning distinction as an NCAA III Second Team All-American in the 400M hurdles. And she wrote for the school newspaper while also performing as a co-anchor for student-run television (SCTV).

“I think now that there’s nothing too big to do. Coming to Simpson, I learned that if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish it.”

Now knowing that anything is possible, Hays looks to her future with eager anticipation.

“I wonder what my next ‘never’ will be, even though that word has long been out of my vocabulary,” she wrote in her final Simpsonian article. “I hope that others take that leap of faith and dare to do the things they said they would never do, join or try.”

“If I can describe Simpson in one word I would say ‘family.’ The professors treated me like my parents, guiding me as a first-generation student and giving me advice. the relationships I made here will last forever.”