Twins Race Towards Careers

Written By: Ian Silvester

Senior cross-country runners and twin sisters, Rachel and Hailey Malik, have used their time at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith to blaze their way down trails and spark the curious minds of dozens of elementary-aged students across the city.

While setting personal bests, the sisters have each led their respective classrooms and students to do their best.

“I find joy in it,” Rachel said, likening training for a race to lesson planning. “It’s looking back at lesson plans and student data—seeing how they did on a test or the lesson that we did—and how I can fix it. It’s the same mentality as cross country. You want to be better for yourself. You want the students to do better because it’s not about yourself in the classroom, it’s about the students.”

As sisters, teammates, and fellow teachers-in-the-making, Rachel and Hailey push each other to be the best versions of themselves. Whether it’s waking up early for a run or staying up late to lesson plan, the two of them are always thinking of how to make their team succeed.

“A lot of it is just mentality,” Hailey said. “It’s constantly wanting to improve yourself and doing whatever it takes.”

Rachel and Hailey will graduate in May 2026. Each plan is to teach full-time and hopes to work at schools close to one another. They also plan to enter an online master’s program after graduation.

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• The Bell Tower Magazine
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