Dancing Through Life

BY: JOLEE SKINNER / Editor-in-Chief

 Marlee Hrabal, raised in the bustling city of Fort Worth, had a wonderful, family-oriented childhood.  

“My early childhood was filled with countless memories with friends and family,” Hrabal said. “A distinct memory I have from my childhood would be my best friend since the beginning of my life teaching me to ride my bike when I was four years old.” 

She recalled back to when she first started dancing as well.  

 “If you ask anyone, I was always found dancing at a local dance studio where I spent 19 long years of my life participating in competitive dance,” Hrabal said.  

As a younger sister to her older brother Conner Hrabal, Marlee and Connor are separated by an eight-year age gap. She talked about the age gap of her and her brother influencing their relationship.  

“Yes, the eight-year age gap did effect our relationship for the better and sometimes for the worse,” Hrabal said. “With us being so far apart in age, it did create some struggles with trying to personally connect due to us being at different stages in our lives.” 

She says it sometimes influenced their parents’ treatment towards them. 

 “I would say yes our parents did parent us differently for different reasons for example, since my brother was way older than me, he got to do different things than me since I was young,” Hrabal said.  

But Marlee's childhood was filled with special moments and challenges. Cheering for Conner at high school football games is one of her favorite memories, she values the bond between her and her family, however, it was dance that truly captured her heart.  

“I fell in love with dance because it gave me an outlet to express my emotions whether that be happiness, sadness or excitement for new opportunities,” Hrabal said. “Dance has given me so many teaching lessons and I’m forever thankful.” 

Through dancing, Marlee learned compassion, individual expression and teamwork. These skills have shaped her into the person she is today. She even continued dancing through high school. She says she loved high school and had a very fun experience.  

“I was a part of the dance team at my high school, so I was always involved within the school so that really made it more enjoyable for me,” Hrabal said.  

Her influential high school teachers fueled her passionate drive for education, inspiring her to pursue a college degree in education.  

“Ever since high school I always wanted to go to college,” Hrabal said. “There was never a time in my life where I thought I wouldn’t go to college.” 

Which led her to Tarleton State University. Choosing Tarleton was an easy decision, from its welcoming campus and historic traditions, Tarleton was singled out for Marlee. 

“Tarleton stood out to me for the campus being so welcoming,” Hrabal said. “Every person that I saw on campus truly wanted the best for you and I saw so much hope in that.”  

Upon arriving at Tarleton, Marlee wanted to pursue child and family development studies.  

“Growing up both of my parents were teachers and I always saw how big of an impact they made, and I knew I wanted to do that one day,” Hrabal said. “I want to be able to help children in the hospital to help brighten their lives and help them to the best of my ability so that they can have the best recovery possible.”  

She relates to her major deeply. She recalls a family friend getting diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) at Cook Children’s Hospital. This is a hereditary genetic condition that damages the membrane that insulates nerve cells in your brain. This genetic condition usually is found around four to ten years old. The white matter of the brain is damaged and symptoms worsen over time. If the condition is not diagnosed early on, ALD may lead to death within five to ten years.  

This time in her life made her realize she wanted to be a child life specialist.  

“A family friend got diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy last October,” Hrabal said. “He had a child life specialist at Cook Children’s Medical Center that helped the patient and the family not only cope with the new diagnosis but also helped them with all the transitions and emotions that come along with the hospital environment, the child life specialist made such an impact on the family and that’s exactly what I want to do.” 

Marlee started to regularly volunteer at Cook’s in multiple units and then heard about a child life specialist internship there. She applied and got accepted.

“Getting accepted as a volunteer and intern was an extremely big thing for me, they only accept eight college students so I could not pass the opportunity up,” Hrabal said. “They saw something great in me and I was so thankful and excited to start this new journey in my life.” 

The experience has been monumental for Marlee, she has witnessed the resilience and smiles of children facing different medical challenges. 

“Being an intern at Cook Children’s Medical Center has been one of the biggest opportunities I have ever gotten,” Hrabal said. “Seeing the kids every day and knowing that you have made an impact in their hospital stay or even their life is a blessing.” 

She continues to talk about how much their patients need child life specialists. They need some light to have amidst going through a dark situation.  

“The kids need you,” Hrabal said. “They need someone positive in their life, some children have no one with them at the hospital so they need someone to be there for them.” 

Marlee reflected on how much volunteering at Cooks has meant to her. She talked about how grateful she is for this experience.   

“Volunteering at Cook Children’s has been such a rewarding and fulfilling experience for me,” Hrabal said. “I have loved all the opportunities and connections I have made and received.”  

Marlee talked about how she has yet to have any negative experiences, the environment at Cook Children's has made every moment fulfilling. 

 Marlee continues to inspire those around her. McKenzie Shelton is a student at Tarleton and has worked with Marlee in dance related activities. 

“Marlee is a great example of what a leader should be,” Shelton said. “She listens to the input of others, is hard working and is very resilient.” 

Marlee’s leadership even caught the attention of the former Vice President of Cabinet Felisa Barron in the Phi Mu sorority at Tarleton, of which Marlee is a current member.  

“Marlee is a passionate leader and holds herself to an extremely high standard,” Barron said. “Marlee continuously pushes herself to lead to the best of her ability by setting high standards and motivating others.” 

As Marlee dances through the different stages of her life, her journey unfolds with gratefulness, compassion and a passionate commitment to making a difference in the lives of children every day.