Hannah's Story:

My name is Hannah. I am currently a senior at Geneseo Central High School and I am ready to stretch my views of the world. So far I have not had the experience of leaving the country, but I have always wanted to travel and I have always been encouraged to explore as much as the world has to offer. I am extremely excited for the chance to not only travel and experience a different culture but to help a family build a house with the 4 Walls Project. The timing of this experience is perfect as I plan on attending college this fall for my BFA. Eventually I would like to enter into a career in early childhood art education as I enjoy sharing my love for art with others.


When I am not in school I work at a local daycare, make art, read, spend time with my crazy close family, and take long hikes with my dog, Addie. I love the outdoors. I enjoy hiking and kayaking in the summer and cross country skiing and snowboarding in the winter. I participate in the youth group at my church and I have taken part in many volunteer experiences there. We have worked at our local food pantry as well as taking a week-long trip to Washington DC to help the homeless. I also have volunteered at the Department of Conservation Camp in Saranac, NY for a week over the last few summers. At school I have done an internship in the elementary art classroom and I am currently doing an internship in the elementary reading room helping struggling readers. I also participate in Earthwise Club (an outdoor activities club), and Page Turners (a reading club). For the past several years, I have been a TIES volunteer. TIES is an organization that helps students with disabilities participate in community and extracurricular activities with the help of a "buddy". I am also the only female student representative of the high school and middle school Building Planning Team at Geneseo.

I have decided that I would like to join the 4 Walls Project in Nicaragua in conjunction with Journeys of Solutions. This inspiring program brings together donations from home to purchase materials with volunteers like myself and a family that needs a house in El Sauce, Nicaragua. I will be working with other young people from around my region who travel to Nicaragua and an El Sauce family to provide a home that would not otherwise be possible for that family. Along the way, I hope to learn Spanish and come to understand more about life in a very different part of the world from what I know now.

To help finance my experience, I have worked at the Genesee Valley Veterinary Hospital and am currently employed at Harmony Station Daycare. Although I am working and my family is helping me fund my trip, I will need some extra assistance. I am hoping this scholarship will allow me to raise the funds necessary for this awesome opportunity. It will not only be an extraordinary learning experience for me but will also allow a family to have a new home. I am extremely excited to experience a new culture, make new global connections, experience nature like never before, and make life-changing and lasting friendships. With help from this scholarship, all of this will be possible.


"I have encouraged Hannah to put forth the effort, time and money to join the 4 Walls Project in July of 2015 on a trip to Nicaragua based on the type of reflective thinker and caring person she is. This opportunity also comes as Hannah is finishing high school and heading to college and eventually a career. Eye-opening experiences at this critical time in a person's life can forever alter their view of the world and how they want to interact with that world. The people of Nicaragua are welcoming, yet life there is very different than what Hannah has experienced growing up in a small rural town of Geneseo. This scholarship will help her expand her horizons and help a family in Nicaragua have a better life as well."