It has taken Hannah Gardner, a 2017 graduate of Davidson High School, a little longer than some to figure out what she wanted to do for a career. It’s certainly not for a lack of trying new things, however.
Upon graduating, she attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for two years. She returned home and secured several part-time jobs, including working part-time for Festa, an organization dedicated to overcoming poverty; as a retail manager for rue21; and creating graphics and serving as an office manager and youth leader at a church.
All of these experiences led her to find her passion. Today, she works full-time for Festa as their volunteer coordinator and developer. In her role, she meets with local congregations and businesses to help expand the community’s knowledge of poverty and how they can help. She also oversees the children’s portion of Festa’s 3-Generation English as a Second Language program which serves nearly 600 people. She is currently attending Southeastern University pursuing a degree in human services and criminal justice. She hopes to one day practice immigration law.
She said the diverse cultural experiences she had at Hilliard Schools opened her up to the world and prepared her for exactly what she is doing today. Teachers like her art teacher, Ms. Yates, photography teacher, Mr. Ricker, and math teacher, Mr. Nutter, also made learning fun.
While in high school, she served as a youth leader at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church – Mill Run Campus. She also traveled to Russia and taught English to children during her spring breaks. These two experiences helped her realize her calling for the future!
“I appreciated people seeing the leadership potential in me during that time. It’s nice to be on the other side of that now encouraging others,” she said.
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