UWAA Board Member Hannah Cavendish-Palmer, '03, has proven to be a valuable member of the UWAA volunteer team in just a few short years. As the new chair of the Academic and Special Interest Advisory Club Council, Hannah leads representatives from all the UWAA volunteer clubs in addressing common issues and sharing ideas. She also serves on the Board as the Council trustee.
After being raised in Olympia and attending Capital High School, Hannah applied to both the UW and Western Washington University, and chose Western because of its smaller size. However, by the end of her first year there, she began to feel limited, and one year later decided to transfer to the UW and the Jackson School of International Studies.
Before she did, however, she broadened her horizons by assisting a Congressman in Washington, D.C., and working in George, South Africa, and Berlin, Germany. Once at the Jackson School, Hannah was convinced she'd made a great move by coming to the UW. "It was so exciting to be on a huge campus with so much going on and such great resources, especially the libraries," she noted. "I also began to feel that big classes might be better because each student can choose their level of participation. I was surprised to find that I still had the opportunity to get to know my professors, despite the size of the school."
Hannah was particularly thrilled at completing her honors thesis, which compared the operating styles of religious and non-religious non-profits that work on international development. As part of the Jackson School, she also had the opportunity to host Madeleine Albright in 2002 when she spoke on women and politics at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle.
Hannah still found time for outside activities, including Capoiera (a Brazilian martial art), serving as Community Service Chair of the Mortar Board Honor Society, and working at the University of Washington Press. After graduation, Hannah traveled to Burma and Thailand to assist a professor who was working on a book, and served as an intern at the Fremont Public Association.
Hannah began volunteering at the UWAA when she and fellow Jackson School students saw a need to reach out to other graduates from the school. "We were all nervous about graduating and concerned about getting jobs, so we decided to form an alumni club to help connect with others who had gone through the same thing.
"Our goals include providing support to current students and alumni of the Jackson School by holding at least three events every year: one based on current affairs, one career event, and one social function," she said.
Karen Tollenaar Demorest, Alumni Relations Manager for Arts & Sciences, noted that Hannah's work helped spearhead the reemergence of the Jackson School Alumni Club, and its success was immediate. "Hannah has been instrumental in involving alumni in the club and connecting them to the department," she noted.
As a founding president of the Jackson School Alumni Club, Hannah sat on the Academic and Special Interest Advisory Club Council with other club leaders, and this year was elected chair of that council, which also earned her a seat on the UWAA Board of Trustees as Council Trustee.
Although Hannah planned to eventually work abroad, her education in international development steered her back toward the home front. "I originally wanted to travel to less developed countries in order to help them become more economically sustainable, either through aid or policy work. But I've learned that I can make a bigger impact on our country and others by staying home.
"Strengthening local food systems is now my main interest because everybody eats. Educating consumers on how their food choices affect our environment and economy can have a huge impact on both developed and developing countries." She hopes to continue her education with a master's degree in food systems or agricultural policy.
Today, Hannah works as an event coordinator and teaching assistant at the King County Extension of Washington State University. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys gardening and volunteers with the Fremont Public Association's Marra farm, where she helps grow vegetables for local food banks.
We're glad that Hannah's path led to the UW, and are fortunate she chose to get involved as a UWAA volunteer.
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