Hazel Cook, a senior at Park City High School, is a varsity Golf and Soccer player, recreational climber, and former basketball star. She plans to attend BYU-Provo this coming fall to study environmental science, and is a high-achieving student who loves to spend time with friends and family. I was delighted to interview Ms. Cook for Park City Prospector’s Student Spotlight this week, and very delighted to eat the cheesecake she gave me during our chat!

Hazel is the youngest of four kids, and her two older sisters are also attending BYU-Provo. Her older sister Caroline Cook, a Park City High alum, was the reason that Hazel was inspired to join the golf team her freshman year. “I wanted to do a sport with her. I did it for fun and then kind of just kept playing throughout the years” she explained. When asked what she liked about the sport she said, “It’s fun because all of the girls on the team are super friendly and easy to get to know, and I love the golf coach Murph, who is also my Spanish teacher.”

Hazel is currently cooking up her final golf season this spring, and played her final season for the Miners’ girls soccer team last fall. She helped get the team to the state championship match, which hadn’t happened since 2005. “That’s definitely my main sport, and I definitely want to do intramurals in college,” said Hazel about her soccer career. 

This prompted me to ask more about Hazel’s college plans, specifically her choice to major in environmental science. She said that her interest was sparked in Mr. Morone’s AP Environmental Science class that she is taking this year. “In my English class, I’ve been doing a writing project on urban planning and have found it very interesting, so I want to go into a career with an emphasis on urban planning,” she elaborated. 

In addition to soccer and golf, Hazel enjoys other outdoor and recreational activities, especially climbing. “I have some good friends who like to climb a lot and we kind of got into it this past summer and they are really good so it’s fun to go with them and climb!”

All in all, I was blown away by Hazel’s diverse athletic abilities and big ambitions for the future. The best way to describe her is how she described her spirit animal: “A dolphin, because they are very social and playful and fun!”