It is my pleasure to present to you Her Campus St. Kate’s new Special Senior Spotlight: Hannah Keuler. Hannah is from Apple Valley, Minnesota. She is a Public Health major with minors in Spanish and Statistics, and a concentration in Health Education (what a mouthful)! I was lucky enough to meet Hannah on an immersion trip to Peru this past January. Her kindness and passion for helping others is why I believe Hannah needs to be given recognition.
Q: Tell me a little bit about your story of selecting to attend St. Kate’s?
Hannah: I was actually a transfer student. I had attended two other universities before settling on St. Kate’s. Growing up so close to St. Paul made me never want to attend St. Kate’s. Now that I’m graduating in May, I have truly fallen in love with St. Kate’s and would totally have picked it right out of high school! I decided to attend St. Kate’s without even visiting the campus. This was a bold decision for me, but I’m glad it worked out as I’ve had such an amazing experience.
Q: What about St. Kate’s makes you believe that you ended up making the right decision choosing St. Kate’s?
Hannah: I absolutely believe that I ended up making the right decision in coming to St. Kate’s. Now that I am finishing my last semester here, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else but here. The campus is so vibrant and everyone is so friendly and welcoming. The professors want you to succeed in their classes and I have had nothing but support from everyone I’ve encountered here on campus.
Q: How are you involved on campus?
Hannah: I am currently involved in the Public Health Club. I also am an Ask Katie Peer Health Educator as well as an AMP (Assistantship Mentoring Program) Teaching Assistant for the Statistical Computing course. I love both of my on-campus jobs and have learned a lot of information and gained a multitude of skills that I can see myself using in my future!
Q: What kind of advice do you have for transferred students?
Hannah: Get to know the people in your classes and don’t be afraid to get to know your professors. Get involved on campus and meet people who have the same interests as you. The girls in my transfer TRW (The Reflective Woman) class were my first friends at St. Kate’s and we’re still in touch with each other to this day! If you don’t know something, just ask! I totally got lost on campus because I forgot where Mendel was, I stopped someone on the sidewalk and asked them where Mendel was; they gave me a funny look because I was literally steps away, but they were willing to help me.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
Hannah: After graduation I am planning on serving in the Peace Corps for 27 months in Guatemala. This has been my dream ever since spring of my sophomore year, and to finally be preparing for service seems so surreal. There are some days where I just have to pinch myself to remind myself that yes, this is real, and that you will be leaving in roughly 5 months.
Q: Wow! Now that you’re headed aborad, and you have experience being abroad, what advice do you have for students who are interested in studying abroad?
Hannah: I was able to do two trips with Campus Ministry abroad; Rome over spring break 2016 and Peru in January 2017. My advice would be to just go for it, even if you don’t know anyone that is going on the trip. You never know who you will meet and the connections you will make. I would also say to not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. You never know what experience or conversation you may have that may change your life or be your defining moment.
Thank you Hannah for allowing Her Campus St. Kate’s to have you as our Special Senior Spotlight. We are so amazed at all the things you’ve been able to obtain while at St. Kate’s and the future experiences you have coming! We wish you luck on your Peace Corps journey in Guatemala! Buena suerte (good luck) to the rest of your last semester of college at St. Catherine University and felicidades (congratulations) to your future undergrad diploma!