Hailey Glass rewrites the book on student leadership
Provost’s Award recipient juggles full-time work, a rigorous major and grassroots service to prove that small acts can create big change.
What is a Changemaker?
A peek at Provost’s Award recipient Hailey Glass’ packed résumé offers a clue. As a Political Science student with a minor in Legal Studies, aspiring lawyer Glass is always pushing for change. She says her time at Metropolitan State University of Denver has changed her advocacy for the better.
“I always knew what I wanted to do,” said Glass, who remembers getting involved in student government and local activism as far back as elementary school. But by the time Glass arrived at MSU Denver, she had begun questioning her leadership skills.
“I was involved and doing things, but I wasn’t getting anything done,” Glass said. The death of a beloved cousin highlighted the problem: Glass felt guilty that despite her advocating for others, their struggles persisted.
Frustrated, she joined MSU Denver’s Urban Leadership Program, which offers students experiential learning opportunities and gets them involved with local service initiatives. There, she heard a phrase that changed her life: “It is not enough to be an ally; you must be a co-conspirator.”
Inspired by that active vision of leadership and service, Glass plunged headfirst into her studies and on-campus leadership. Involved in volunteering with Indigenous women in Guatemala as well as student government, she began to see advocacy with new eyes.
“Before, I didn’t understand what true advocacy looked like,” she said. “It’s about getting to know people and working alongside them rather than just telling them what they need.” That informed, personal approach involves being a voice for others, she said — a voice that she intends to hone as an attorney.
Among her proudest accomplishments is her participation in the student-government sustainability committee, which she has used to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness for MSU Denver students. “I worked to help rebrand our committee to something that wasn’t just environmentally focused but that also focused on making sure students have access to resources and feel supported,” she said.
From providing free blankets and groceries to promoting legal consultations and the Know Your Rights initiative for immigrant students, Glass has become a campus fixture known for her contributions to the University community.
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Glass’ road to graduation has not always been easy, but she says her adverse experiences and background as a low-income student help her better understand others within her community. Glass worked full time while studying, balancing long days at work with school and volunteerism. “I have an amazing support structure here at school,” she said. “It was a breath of fresh air to come to MSU Denver and realize there are so many people like me.”
Mock Trial and a rigorous major have prepared Glass for law school — she’s leaning toward environmental law. But she says MSU Denver has also given her another kind of education: a sense of how one person can effect real change in their community.
“Change isn’t a huge movement shaking someone’s life,” she said. “It’s about small steps. If I can make one person feel happier or make one person’s day through an action I take, that’s making change.”
Learn more about pre-law studies at MSU Denver.
