Story by Rebecca Spezzano

It’s been an incredibly busy year for Carly Hays — and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Since graduating from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in Health Science in 2023, Hays moved to Kansas City and started physician assistant school at the University of Missouri–Kansas City’s School of Medicine.

Oh. And she got a Super Bowl ring.

In addition to the mental challenge of physician assistant school, Hays has embraced the physical challenge of being a cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs. She started with the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders for the 2023 season and was along for the wild ride to Las Vegas that brought the team yet another Super Bowl win.

“It definitely is the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” she said. “It’s inspiring to be surrounded by such incredible women — I’ve got a teammate who’s in law school, a teammate in PT school, some who are full-time teachers and others who own their own businesses.”

Hays has been dancing since she was only 3 or 4 years old, and she has performed on dance teams in high school, college, and now professionally. Balancing two incredibly demanding professions might seem daunting, but Hays said she enjoys wearing the two different hats.

“Sometimes I need a break from school, and dance gives me a space where I can be present and creative,” she said. “And sometimes my body is tired from dance, but then I can go study and focus on PA school. It’s pretty cool that I get to see both sides.”

Golden memories

Born in St. Louis and raised in Kansas City, Hays has always had Missouri in her heart. Perhaps that’s why she chose Mizzou when planning her college journey.

“It was like the perfect sweet spot for me for undergrad,” she said.

In addition to her studies, Hays was quite active while she was on campus. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, involved with the Health Science student council, and cheered on the Tigers as one of the University of Missouri Golden Girls.

As one of the first people in her family to pursue a career in health care, Hays said it wasn’t always easy. While she didn’t have specific mentors, she credits Department of Health Sciences faculty members like Jenna Wintemberg and Botswana Blackburn with helping her along the way and inspiring her.

“Now, I try to give back by being a mentor for all of the College of Health Sciences students who come after me,” she said.

A pathway to PA school

Hays credits the Mizzou College of Health Sciences for where she is today. She’s thankful for the well-rounded education Mizzou provided, preparing her with knowledge on public health, social determinants of health and health disparities.

“Mizzou did a really great job of preparing me for the entire patient and not just disease processes,” Hays said. “It was really forward-thinking in the sense of looking at a whole person and a whole environment and society.”

Because Mizzou is a part of the UM System and a partner institution of UMKC, Hays was able to apply early to physician assistant school. The UMKC School of Medicine’s PA Scholars program offers early and guaranteed admission to college students who earn undergraduate degrees from UMKC, the University of Missouri–Columbia, the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Avila University, Truman State University and Rockhurst University.

“I knew the fall of my senior year of college that I was going to be starting PA school in January 2024,” she said. “It was pretty cool that I was able to know what I was doing next so early.”

As she looks ahead to her future as a physician assistant, Hays is grateful for the experiences that shaped her and the strong foundation she built at Mizzou. Whether she’s working in the classroom or cheering on the sidelines of Arrowhead Stadium, the College of Health Sciences will always be a special place to her.

“I do hope to stay connected to Mizzou and the College of Health Sciences,” she said. “I owe them my life at this point.”