Hannah Gantt: Finding a Home Away from Home

By Miranda Koewler

Hannah Gantt, a fourth-year student and Houston native, provides insight into the communities she has built during her time as an out-of-state student and an athlete at Ohio State.

Miranda: What are you studying and why?

Hannah: I’m majoring in communications and minoring in business. Communications is pretty broad, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do coming into college. It gave me great flexibility to see a wide variety of career paths and interest areas. I figured having a business background would help me to extend into more places and fields.

What are you involved with on campus and in the Columbus community?

I am a member of the Ohio State women’s lacrosse team and am involved with Athletes in Action, which is a group of athletes who gather together to talk about our faith. I also am a part of Sheroes, which is a group for black female student athletes to come together as a support system and a community. Over the summer, I was a Huntington Bucks Go Pro intern with the Office of Student Life. Right now, I intern at the Columbus Sports Commission with their events management team.

What are three words to describe you?

First I would say outgoing because I enjoy talking to and getting to know as many people as possible. Going along with that, my second word would be caring. I genuinely want to see who people are and what they are about. I try to be an outlet of support for everyone around me. My last word would be free-spirited. I try to go with the flow and let life take me wherever it may without being bothered by too much.

What made Ohio State home for you after moving across the country?

Being from Houston, moving to Ohio State was a definite change for me. The lacrosse team brought me a community and a family right from the start. It is a group of like-minded people who care about me and share many of the same experiences. My roommates are really important too. They don’t all play sports, so I get a good balance between my communities. Most of them are from Ohio, so their families have really taken me in. I’ve loved meeting and creating relationships with them.

How has your student experience been impacted by being a student athlete?

Being a student athlete has had some amazing perks. I hope to work in the sports industry, so it has been so beneficial for me to be able attend a variety of events through the Athletic Department — I get to be surrounded by people who are working in a field that I want to pursue in the future. The Bucks Go Pro program for student athletes gave me an internship with Student Life that I really loved, and that helped me get the internship at the Columbus Sports Commission as well. There have been endless opportunities for personal and professional development.

What have you done to explore more of Columbus?

I have a list of over 70 food places in Columbus that I have been to or plan to visit. It started out as just a few places, but it has taken off on its own! I’m trying to find time to get to as many places as possible. This has been a fun way to explore, especially being from out of state. It has taken me all across the City of Columbus and the surrounding areas to explore more of the community.

What advice would you have for younger or incoming OSU students?

Get involved. You make so many new connections and have opportunities to meet unique people. I think it’s so important to find a variety of perspectives during your time in college.