As the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Not many people can say that they have journeyed to nineteen countries and lived in three different ones, but this campus cutie has done just that! Meet Hannah Beighle, who most currently hails from Portland, Oregon. After traveling over 2,000 miles to her “Home Under the Dome,” Hannah is here to share some interesting details about her life abroad, her adventures, and some other fun facts.
The Basics
Year: Freshman
Dorm: BP
Major: Undecided Business
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Campus Activities: Tutor at Robinson Community Learning Center and volunteer with Dream Teams at Madison Primary Center
Now on to the fun stuff…
I’ve lived in the same town my whole life, which is pretty boring. Tell me a little bit about the exciting places you’ve lived.
Well, I was born in Dublin, Ireland, but I moved to Seattle when I was one year old.
I’m not actually Irish – my dad worked for the U.S. State Department, so that’s why I was born abroad. When I was 13, I moved to Moscow, Russia because my dad took a new job. I lived there for two years. It was fun experiencing a culture so different from American life. I went to an international school, so I was able to meet kids from all over the world. I moved back to Seattle when I was fifteen and just last summer my family moved to Portland, Oregon, so I technically live in Portland now – even though I never technically went to school there.
Hannah with her father and sister in St. Petersburgh, Russia
What are some of your favorite places that you’ve traveled to?
It was easy to travel a lot because Moscow is a lot closer to a lot of other countries than the United States. Also, since I went to an international school in Russia, we had the opportunity to visit a lot of different places as a class and we also had some sports tournaments in different countries.
When I was in 9th grade I went to Croatia for a class trip and we stayed on a little island, which was a really cool experience! My birthday was usually during one of our school breaks, so I’ve been able to spend my birthday in Hawaii, Tanzania, Thailand, Guatemala, and the Caribbean.
Hannah and her mother in Phuket, Thailand
What was the most memorable thing about living in Russia?
I think just living in a culture that’s so completely different from the one I’m familiar with. At first it was really weird not being able to speak the language at all and not being able to communicate with anyone else. Then after a while you kind of get used to it. Living in Russia has become a fond memory and I’m really glad I was able to live there for a few years!
Hannah and her friend at the Dead Sea, Israel
Why did you choose Notre Dame?
I kind of wanted to get away from the Pacific Northwest and be in a different part of the country. I visited Notre Dame and I could just see myself here.
What is the biggest difference between South Bend and the Northwest?
The people I’ve met in the Midwest are a lot friendlier. And the weather here is pretty crazy, to say the least.
How do you relax after a long day of classes and other responsibilities?
I shamelessly watch reality TV. Also, napping is very important to me.
Favorite reality TV show and why?
Hmm… I would say the Bachelor because it’s so horrible but at the same time you can’t stop watching it!
I can’t help but bring up Starbucks since you’re from Seattle (Seattle is the home of the original Starbucks coffee shop). Is the coffee there the best coffee you’ve ever tasted?
I’ll just say this: if you can, go to the original Starbucks, because without waiting an hour in line to get your coffee, it’s pretty amazing.
I’ll admit something: I was a pretty big Twi-hard when I was in middle school (term for a fan of the Twilight book series). Have you ever been to Forks, Washington (the location of the series)?
I have not been to Forks, but my grandparents live in Sequim, Washington, which is really close by. I’ve been to LaPush, which is where Jacob Black and his family live in the books (Team Jacob all the way!). It’s…well, it’s not very populated, but it has a lot of trees! It’s also one of the rainiest cities in the country. So that’s exciting.
What has been your favorite memory from freshman year so far?
Football weekends!
What has been your favorite class of freshman year and why?
Creative Writing has been my favorite because it’s fun to take a class that’s not as structured and also lets your express yourself.
What made you want to tutor kids at the Robinson Community Learning Center here in South Bend?
The program is really great and they pair you up with one kid for potentially all four years of your college career. I’m with a first grade girl who is just really fun to be around.
I love working with kids – especially kids who didn’t have the same opportunities I did when I was growing up. One time when I was talking with my first grader, I was telling her about living in a dorm and she told me, “I can’t wait to go to college!” It didn’t seem like that would be a huge deal, but a lot of these kids don’t go to college, so teaching her what it’s like and helping her achieve her potential – even though her circumstances are different than mine – is really rewarding!
Do you have any advice to incoming freshmen?
I would say try to meet as many new people as you can and get involved in as many things as you can. You can always cut back with the things you’re involved in, but it’s difficult to add more things to your life once the school year starts.
Thanks for the interview, Hannah!
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Images provided by the interviewee.