“My biggest accomplishment has been getting out of my comfort and the best place I learned to do that was Tarleton. This school allows you so many opportunities to try new things and meet new people, all you have to do is take the first step of DOING IT.”
Hannah Ekwall
Tarleton State Alumna, Class of 2022 | First Generation Graduate
Life after high school, though exciting, can be a very daunting experience. The new-found freedom coupled with the shift in responsibilities can make any student feel a bit overwhelmed. These feelings can be intensified for first generation students.
However, after you find your formula for success and live life beyond your comfort zone, you may find that being a first generation student is an accolade rather than a hurdle.
For Tarleton State alumna Hannah Ekwall, being a first gen student did not slow down her path to success.
During her time at Tarleton State, Hannah was an active member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority where she served as the Director of Leadership, Yell Director and Vice President of Recruitment. Ekwall also worked as a TTM (Tarleton Transition Mentor) and participated and served as Volunteer Leadership Team and Assistant Director of Public Relations for Tarleton RoundUp.
Hannah was able to exercise her love for journalism and broadcast through her Advertising Representative role at the JTAC Newspaper and her Editor-in-Chief position at the Grassburr.
However, Ekwall found that the most impactful organization she was a part of was Alpha Gamma Delta.
“I would 100% say that being in Alpha Gamma Delta had the biggest impact on my life! From leading the women through Yell and recruitment, I feel as though I was given a once in a lifetime chance to advance my leadership skills in ways you don’t find in other organizations outside Greek life, along with creating friendships that’ll last forever,” Ekwall explained.
Although Ekwall was originally unsure whether Tarleton State was the place for her, after touring campus in 2017, she knew it was meant to be!
“Everything about Tarleton just felt right, like I was meant to be there. It was a crazy feeling, but I’m glad I followed it,” Ekwall shared.
Hannah graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism in May 2022.
For Ekwall, this was only the beginning to an exciting new life. Although her involvement and coursework prepared her for life post-grad, nothing could have prepared her for moving to a new state and taking on new responsibilities.
After crossing the stage in May, Hannah packed her bags and moved to Casper, Wyoming where she worked as a Marketing, Promotions and Social Media Intern for the Casper Horseheads, a local minor league baseball team.
“My biggest accomplishment is moving across the country and learning that the best way to grow is by getting out of your comfort zone. Professionally I’d say my biggest accomplishment has been advancing my networking capabilities and adding a variety of people who’ve helped me advance in my career thus far. Building a strong network of people who can offer advice, additional contacts to reach out to along with aiding you towards working for your next goals is huge and I don’t think enough people realize that,” Ekwall shared.
After working as an intern for four months, Hannah shifted into a full-time position as the Partnerships Marketing Manager & On Field Host for the Minot Hot Tots in Minot, North Dakota. In her role, Ekwall was responsible for producing partnership proposals, overseeing and managing a team of interns as well as creating game day itineraries for on-field entertainment.
Hannah now works as a weekend anchor, multimedia journalist and producer for Dakota News Now (@dakotanews_now).
“I love and I mean LOVE that it’s something new everyday. I get the opportunity to tell people’s stories and share their passions, problems, and explain to the public what is important to others so they can form their own opinions on it,” Ekwall shared.
Of the many things Ekwall has accomplished since graduating two years ago, she still gives credit to the place she called home for so many years.
“TSU definitely helped prepare me by just introducing me to a wide group of individuals from the organizations I was involved with all the way to my classes. I credit this to a lot of my success with developing relationships personally and professionally,” Ekwall said.
For students looking to chase their dreams before crossing the stage, Tarleton State is the place to be!
“Tarleton is the BEST school to attend to not only get an amazing education, but to also explore a million different activities or clubs that will help you in your future career. If you take advantage of each opportunity Tarleton provides you, you will have the best 4 years of your life,” Ekwall said.
For more information about the various degrees and programs offered at Tarleton State, visit https://www.tarleton.edu/degrees/.