The only thing stopping you is yourself. This is a lesson Hanna Watson-Cespedes had to learn at a young age.
Hanna graduated from high school and planned to follow her passion and play soccer at the collegiate level, but didn’t have many options.
“I was young and a lot of programs didn’t take me seriously when I told them I wanted to try out for their program,” Hanna said.
Emmanuel College however, accepted Hanna with open arms.
Growing up in Forsyth, Ga., Hanna graduated from a small high school, therefore Emmanuel’s size and the community atmosphere on campus were a perfect fit.
Hanna began at Emmanuel as a Biology major, however after taking the core classes she learned that she had more of a passion for the psychological aspect of science, and changed her major to Psychology.
“I do love Biology and believe that mental baseline is so important,” Hanna said. “But, I’ve always had a love for Psychology. When I found a way where I could merge the two, it was beautiful.”
Although she may not have stuck with the Biology major, her time as a Biology major changed Hanna’s life, as it was through the program that she met her husband.
“I met with one of my favorite professors about different internships I could apply for and she connected us,” Hanna said. “He is an EC graduate that started off as my mentor, and two years later we got married.”
Outside of the classroom, Hanna stays involved with the Women’s Soccer team, but recently became a Peer Mentor, a position she takes seriously.
“I remember my freshman year was difficult for me in a lot of ways,” Hanna said. “Mainly with balancing athletics and academics, which was a new concept for me. I am very serious about academics and my sport, so I want to push myself to continue to improve in each area.”
Hanna serves as the Peer Mentor for Athletic Director, Nate Moorman’s EC 101 Foundations class where she has the opportunity to guide several student athletes through their first-year at EC.
“I get to share my experience with them and hopefully help out and tutor some of them too,” Hanna said. “I really enjoy that and have a big heart for helping in any way I can, whether that be socially or academically.”
Throughout her life, Hanna credits her father, mother and husband for helping shape her into the person she is today.
“My father, Mark, he’s one of the hardest workers I know,” Hanna said. “He always encourages me to work hard when no one is looking, when you feel like you can’t work anymore. My husband, he’s helped steer me toward what I want to do in life academically, understanding where all of the biology and psychology points to, which is our Creator. My mom, her whole faith is based on love and the salvation we have. If you mix all of those together, those are the fundamental people that have shaped me, guided me into what I want to go into.”
With a foundation based on faith, Hanna feels at home at Emmanuel where professors are encouraged to share their faith in the classroom.
“I can’t imagine anything else,” Hanna said. “I can’t imagine learning in an environment where we don’t begin with prayer and recognize the beauty of creation and who to give our praises to. It is special because it’s not just in bible class. I haven’t had a professor here that doesn’t believe what he or she preaches or tries to teach their students. My professors are always there for me, and it’s nice to know that’s not based on my worth or what I have done, but the love we have for Christ.”
After Emmanuel, Hanna plans to attend graduate school, and potentially pursue a doctorate in Clinical Counseling, and believes her time at Emmanuel has prepared her to be successful in whatever she decides to do.
“Everything about Emmanuel has been beneficial to me,” Hanna said. My time here has helped me grow and develop in what I want to do, what I want to go into. Especially now, looking at graduate schools I’m now drawn to smaller schools that are more concentrated, more focused. That’s definitely a result of being at Emmanuel.”
