Heather Marie Hansen

Hansen__heather

“Throughout my life, my parents have always put a strong emphasis on the importance of education. At a young age, they helped me to discover the intrinsic value of knowledge acquisition and since then I have taken my educational pursuits seriously.”

  • Program: 2009 Graduate Scholarship Recipient
  • Resides: NYC, NY
  • Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
  • Age: 25

Biography

PROFILE: When President Kennedy created the Peace Corps nearly a half-century ago one of the agency’s stated goals was to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people it served. Over the past two years Heather Hansen’s accomplished that mission and more. Assigned to coordinate development projects in a small village in Jordan, Heather fostered close relationships with community leaders which enabled her to organize the first in a series of women’s health workshops. She also worked with Jordan’s education leaders to implement teacher training. Asked to describe herself in a short narrative, Heather said she is goal-oriented and strives to empathize with the plights of less fortunate people. At the University of Oklahoma, she pursued her interest in international humanitarian affairs, which led to her Peace Corps service. “Now this mere interest has become a strong driving force of passion. I credit my high level of accomplishment to the unwavering support of my family, my own high standards for achievement, passion for my field of study/work, and resilience in the face of challenges.”   Now in graduate school at Columbia University, she hopes to eventually be a leader in the field of international development. 

INSPIRATION:  Heather counts herself as lucky to know Dr. Jack Kanak during her undergraduate days. In the 1960s, Dr. Kanak was involved in the Civil Rights struggle and Heather took his class on Prejudice and the Civil Rights Movement, later serving as his teaching assistant. “In class, he brought to life our troubled past and discussed how we can work for a brighter future.  I feel honored to know Dr. Kanak and have him as a friend. His personal story and passion for education have helped encourage me to not give up on my own dreams.”  

ASPIRATION: Her professional goal is to work with development and aid organizations on the design, implementation, and evaluation processes of projects involving displaced persons and refugees. She aims to eventually work for an organization such The International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, or the US Agency for International Development. 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: An achievement Heather is most proud of is her creation and implementation of regional health workshops in southern Jordan. She secured the support of a regional leader to do a series of health workshops for women in the Ma'an region. By the end of her Peace Corps service, she conducted seven workshops addressing topics such as prenatal health, diabetes, working with disabled children, and helping children develop motor skills in a nursery setting.  

ACCOLADES: Heather was named the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Scholar at the University of Oklahoma and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

INTERESTING FACT: The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Otis Redding, The Temps and 4 Tops . . . Heather knows them all. She loves Motown music and said she once won a karaoke contest performing a Motown hit.

Other Scholars Like Heather

Conners___marguerite-picture_thumb

Marguerite Conners
College Scholar
Dartmouth College

Sorrell__s

Sara Sorrell
Graduate Scholar
Indiana University School of Medicine / University of Cambridge

4x6cf001814small_prints_thumb

Rosita Najmi
Graduate Scholar
Harvard University

Daviddutton_thumb

David Dutton
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Mary Washington