Born to Dream

I'm Shelby Hays and I grew up in the small town of Velma, Oklahoma wanting nothing more than to become a meteorologist one day.

From a very young age I was quite frightened by storms. I would have a bag packed and my tennis shoes by the bed if there were any chance of overnight storms. As I grew older I wanted to know more and more about storms so I could stay away from them and help everyone else stay away as well. What began with fear watching Gary for warnings, transitioned into me wanting to grow up and not just become a meteorologist, but be the next Gary England and help keep fellow Oklahomans out of Mother Nature's way.

People would laugh and think it was "cute" when I told them I had it all planned out, but not everyone believed I was serious about this big plan. However, in high school I had a science teacher who understood how serious I was about this adventure and reached out to help. Mrs. Johnston arranged a day for me to go to News 9 and shadow the weather department. That day solidified everything I had dreamed of, it was no longer just a dream to become a meteorologist… it was a need and nothing was going to stop me. Gary gave me many tips that day about what to do when I got to OU and when I could apply for an internship.

I am now a student at The University of Oklahoma majoring in Meteorology with a minor in Nonprofit Organizational Studies. I intern at News 9 in the Meteorology department and I'm very active in OU Nightly which gives me on air experience as a meteorologist.

Outside of school and the weather I enjoy spending time with my family. We spend a lot of time fishing, going to the lake, and just enjoying the great outdoors. I'm an animal lover, and may sometimes treat my dog, Mr. Speckles, like my child.

I'm very blessed to have been given the opportunity to be an intern, and would love to answer any questions you have for me or to just chat about the weather, animals, or how great it is to be an Oklahoman. You can connect with me on Twitter: @ShelbyWX or become friends with me on Facebook!