Student Stories: How Stephanie Sprankle Found Her Way Back to HCC
Student Stories: How Stephanie Sprankle Found Her Way Back to HCC
Stephanie left HCC to put her family first.
Two decades later, she's finishing what she started.
When Stephanie Sprankle first enrolled at Hagerstown Community College in 2000, she was already carrying more responsibilities than most. She was a full-time salon manager, a mother to two young children, and now a full-time student.
Something had to give.
“My family was suffering,” Stephanie recalled. “So unfortunately, my schooling is what I had to give up.”
After stepping away from school to focus on her family, Stephanie’s life took a harder turn. She became a widow, raised four children on her own, and cared for her retired, disabled veteran father.
“I don't mind [caring for him]. He gave his all for our country and was always there for me, so I’m grateful to be able to return the favor.”
But with her time and finances stretched thin, returning to college felt out of reach for years. It wasn't until her children had grown up that Stephanie reenrolled in classes and discovered support from the HCC Foundation.
“If it were not for the scholarships, I wouldn’t be able to return to HCC,” Stephanie said. “It's taken a big load off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders. I was thinking about taking next semester off, but because of this help, I’m going to continue through.”
Back on campus, Stephanie has rediscovered her confidence and found encouragement from HCC faculty and staff. “I’ve had some awesome professors who sat down with me and helped point me in directions I wouldn’t have thought to go,” she said. “The Learning Support Center, the library, my student advisor—I have so much support at my fingertips. It’s just been amazing being a student at this school.”
Now pursuing her Addiction Counseling Certificate, Stephanie plans to continue on to earn her bachelor’s degree in social work. Her dream is to work as a therapist in an inpatient rehabilitation center and, one day, open her own practice.
“My goal is to help people find hope again,” she said. “I know what it’s like to have life knock you down, and I want to be the person who helps others get back up.”
For Stephanie, HCC isn’t about chasing a new dream—it’s about rediscovering an old one and seeing it through.