“Through PULSE, I have developed a greater appreciation for people who volunteer. PULSE has helped me better understand serving the community through volunteerism.” – Hannah Sauder
Hannah Sauder comes to Pittsburgh by way of Lititz, Pennsylvania. Hannah received her degree in Communication with minors in Graphic Design and International Studies from Goshen College. She worked as an Event Photographer for the Communications and Marketing Office from 2013 until her graduation and also served on the Student Associates in Advancement Team in the Development Office of Institutional Advancement. This summer, Hannah participated in Maple Scholars through Goshen College. Through the summer program, she digitized the college newspaper, the Record, and collected data on the gender of the editors and contributing writers for the opinion page. In her free time, she paints, researches and learns about other artists, and listens to podcasts. She is serving at Assemble.
Josh Koletar: Tell me something you are learning about yourself through PULSE.
Hannah Sauder: The biggest thing I’m learning about myself is how to better manage my time outside of college. I’m learning how and when to bring people in the community to help me accomplish my goals. I’m also learning how to say no to projects and ask for help when I need it. It’s a very different environment in the workforce than in college and I’m learning to adapt to that.
Josh: How has PULSE inspired you to live/think/act differently?
Hannah: Through PULSE, I have developed a greater appreciation for people who volunteer. PULSE has helped me better understand serving the community through volunteerism. Growing up Mennonite, I was brought up to appreciate service, but I have lived out that vision of service through PULSE which has created in me an even deeper appreciation for volunteering.
Josh: What surprised you most about Pittsburgh?
Hannah: I was surprised by how connected the arts community could be in such a big city! It’s really more of a big small town. My supervisor has helped connect me to other artists in the community through all sorts of events and through her own connections.
Josh: What is the most interesting/fun adventure you’ve had in Pittsburgh so far?
Hannah: I’ve really enjoyed going to Unblurred which is a gallery crawl on the East End. I’ve also ventured out to meet with artists my nonprofit partnership, Assemble, brings in and to meet new artists at new galleries.
Josh: What has been the most valuable part of the PULSE experience so far?
Hannah: I found the seminars with outside speakers really helpful in learning about different types of social justice issues – especially racial justice. It’s also been useful to get connected to people combating injustices in Pittsburgh.
Story by PULSE Participant Josh Koletar.
Read more Participant Stories from Fellows about their experience in PULSE. If you would like to learn more about the PULSE program, please visit our Serve with Us page.
Also, check out other Stories of Transformation: