Speaker: Hannah Crowe
What does receiving Spirit of State mean to you?
Hannah Crowe: Well, first of all, it's truly an honor to be receiving the Spirit of State award. I can't even tell you how it feels to be told that like I embody Mississippi State spirit. I think that this reward symbolizes like all the passion for Mississippi State that every recipient has. You know, it represents everybody that we've impacted on our journey here at Mississippi State and all those that have impacted us. You know, I have received invaluable guidance from my mentors, peers and even students that I have mentored. I've learned a lot from them as well. So I think Spirit of State really encompasses just all that I've learned and the impact that I've tried to leave here. So it's just an honor to be recognized.
What has been your most rewarding experience at MSU?
Hannah Crowe: It's really hard just to pick one rewarding experience at Mississippi State. I mean, ever since I've even stepped foot on campus, I've been constantly welcomed and encouraged and just pushed to be my best by all of my mentors and peers. But if I were to pick just one on campus, it would be my experience as an SI leader. I was able to mentor students and provide them the resources to conquer organic chemistry. And this last semester, I've been an SI mentor. So I'm no longer mentoring students, but I'm mentoring SI leaders themselves and just being able to be their cheerleader and cheer them on both in their personal lives and their journey into becoming a better leader. So that's been really, really fulfilling. And then if I can pick one for maybe off of the campus in the community, I started a reading mentor program called Champions Are Readers at Overstreet Elementary. It's a fifth grade school and I was able to help kids learn to love reading again. And I just, I, I get so giddy thinking about that experience because even after I've left and, you know, passed the program on to somebody else, it's still thriving and I know the librarian over there is very happy to see those kids reading again.
In what ways can you continue to embody the Spirit of State?
Hannah Crowe: I hope to take the Spirit of State with me as I continue on to medical school. So I'll be in medical school this fall and, you know, I'll be at a different school. But my experiences at Mississippi State will always be with me and I'll always remember everything that I've learned from my mentors and peers. So, you know, when I'm sitting in that classroom full of another 150 scared medical students, you know, I'll think about, you know, as an SI leader, what did I need to feel encouraged? And I can use that to encourage my peers. And, you know, I've done lots of professional development events at Mississippi State, and I can take those lessons to medical school. Like I now know how to connect with professors that I've never met before. And I know how to network and I don't know, use Linkedin. You know, I've learned so many things at Mississippi State, and I'm gonna carry each and every one of my experiences with me to medical school and beyond to whenever I become a doctor. You know, I'll have to get my patients, I want them to trust me and to feel confident in me. And I know these are skills that Mississippi State have instilled in me. So I'm really excited to put these into practice.
