“Always follow your heart.”

My name is Hannah Dillehay, and I am from Council Bluffs, Iowa. I am double majoring in political science and business administration, with a minor in legal studies. On campus, I am involved in the Connie Wimers Leadership Group, Morningside Civic Union, and ODK, and I am a second-year member of the Dance Team. Off-campus, I am participating in an internship at Goosmann law firm, which directly aligns with my goal of becoming a business contractual lawyer after college.

I visited Morningside during my junior year of high school and immediately felt at home.  I thrive from one-on-one connections, so the small class sizes drew me in. There was an instant connection to the staff and coaches I met with during my visit that I did not experience during visits to other schools. If I could tell my high school self one thing, it would be to trust your gut when deciding on what college to attend. I went back and forth a lot on where I wanted to go to college, even though I knew the whole time that Morningside was the place for me.

Some of my favorite places on campus are the back of the library on the first floor. It’s always so quiet and allows me to lock in on my assignments, and it is close to the Spoonholder if I need a pick-me-up. I also spend most of my time in the dance room, even outside of practice. Whenever I am having a hard day or need an outlet, I head to the studio and it always makes me feel better.

I plan to graduate from Morningside in three years, and my advisor, Patrick McKinley, has helped me throughout the process. He helped me plan my schedule to ensure I met all of my requirements and offered me support in finding opportunities and activities that would benefit me in the future.

I have made so many irreplaceable memories during my two years here, but my favorite memory was from this fall. As a dance team member, we get the opportunity to cheer on the football team at every home game. It started snowing at one of the playoff games this season, which to most people probably sounds cold and miserable, but my team had so much fun in it. We cheered extra loud, danced around, made snow angels, and had a blast in the snow. Every Mustang game day is always fun, but this moment was so special between my teammates and me.

Being kind will always get you far in life. My biggest piece of advice to new students is to be outgoing and reach out to people. Attending the MAC events and getting involved in clubs helped me break out of my shell and get to know more people. Not everyone you meet in college will be your best friend, but getting to know people around campus makes campus feel less intimidating as a freshman. Even just waving to people on the way to class or stopping to talk to a classmate in the Spoonholder makes it easier to build those friendships down the line.