Name: Hanna Lundgren
Year: Sophomore
Major: Public Relations and Strategic Communications, with a minor in Entrepreneurship
Hometown: Londonderry, New Hampshire
Favorite class: Anything Christine Lawrence teaches!
Produce of choice: Avocado
Fashion essential: Blazer
Current favorite restaurant in DC: Rasika West End
Her Campus American University: Spoon AU Editor-in-Chief, assistant to high profile foodie Tess Masters, low-key 5 star chef and overall bomb female – how did you find your passion?
Hanna Lundgren: My mom raised me to enjoy eating and making good food, so I guess it’s in my blood. But, I never knew that food writing was a possibility until I came to AU and found Spoon. I got the job [as Tess Masters’ assistant] after my internship at Bookalokal (a social dining startup in DC) and attended a culinary conference and met The Blender Girl there. Then, I kind of just…asked for it.
HCAU: If you could address the AU population about “going for it”, what would you say and why?
HL: I would say that I got my dream job just by emailing Tess Masters and asking if she needed an intern. That might sound stupid, but putting yourself out there and asking for something that you so badly want is how you’ll stand out to professionals. They’ll respect you for going after what you want rather than taking the easy road. It’s how you’ll get to where you want to be.
HCAU: What is your favorite part about the food industry?
HL: I like how it has expanded from just the restaurant business to making a career out of blogging, food porn videos and talk shows. It widens the scope of people of who can be involved.
HCAU: Who in the industry inspires you?
HL: Actually, my boss. She inspires me because she found a niche audience and captivated the opportunity to be their go-to source for all things vegan and gluten-free that you can make with a blender. She has made a career out of it with three books, one app and more to come.
HCAU: So what do you do for Tess Masters on a day-to-day basis?
HL: Every one to three hours, I post recipes, articles, videos and more on her social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat) on a 24/7 clock. I edit her website and her recipes, I handle emails and I recently helped coordinate her national college book tour to ten schools across the country.
HCAU: As Editor-In-Chief of Spoon AU, what is your role in the publication and what drove you to apply for the position?
HL: I was an editor last year, and Spoon University National changed its format over the summer, and that led me to apply for a higher leadership position. My role as editor-in-chief is to help brainstorm, facilitate, curate and produce content for the publication and oversee all other operations.
HCAU: What’s special about Spoon AU in particular?
HL: Spoon AU is led by a tight-knit leadership board that creates a family environment where we get to write about and celebrate our love for all things food.
HCAU: As a sophomore, these things don’t go unnoticed – where do you hope to go as you become an upperclassman?
HL: I hope to continue with both of them because through these experiences, I’ve found out that these things are what I want to do as a professional; whether it be food PR or journalism. They are valuable experiences to have.
HCAU: So, how tired are you?
HL: Surprisingly, not that tired…I have my days, though.
HCAU: On your days off, what can we find you doing?
HL: You can find me eating (always eating), curling up in bed with a new smoothie creation and popcorn, watching One Tree Hill with my roommate Kendra. Or scoping out new places to eat!
HCAU: Favorite movie with food as a character/plot theme?
HL: Julie and Julia. Julia Child is the dream – classy, pearls, squawky voice and a plethora of cooking skills. Also, she literally ate her way through France, which is such a life goal.
HCAU: If you could cook for the any past, the present, or future president, who would it be and what would you make?
HL: So, in my dream, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake win the 2016 election and I would cook them my best dish, which is some epic grilled cheese. Not your regular grilled cheese, but like that gruyere, pears and fig jam all up on that. Or, some sharp cheddar, prosciutto and basil.
HCAU: Last question – what’s the most important meal of the day?
HL: Dessert. I basically eat dinner to get to dessert.
Photo Credit: Lily McCausland