Name: Carlie Hansen
Major: Biology and Political Science
Minor: Environmental Studies
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Post-graduation plans: After graduation I'll be returning home to Chicago for a short time before pursuing work in the environmental policy or advocacy arenas. I hope to move to DC sometime in the next year but take a bit of time to recharge at home and potentially take a road trip or two. Since 2022 is an election year I'm hoping to maybe even jump on a campaign for an Illinois candidate but we'll see where the wind takes me.
People you want to thank: There are so many people who made my time here special. I spent quite a lot of my non-academic time with Bryn Mawr soccer so I wanted to first shout-out every teammate I've played with whether they're still here or have graduated, as well as the coaching and department staff, especially Paul Stinson and Kathy Tierney. You all were always pushing me to be my best self no matter if it was soccer related or not, and I had so much fun even in all the not-so-fun moments. Walking on to the team back in 2017 is one of the most important decisions I made and definitely one of the most impactful - both my teammates and the staff all made every moment special and you all will forever occupy so much space in my heart. Professor Golden and Professor Mozdzer, my advisors in political science and biology respectively, as well as Dean Mancini, have seen the most of me academically so I want to thank them for constantly dealing with me and my crazy ideas and giving me unconditional support both academically and personally. And of course my friends and family; you've seen every part of me and have supported me unconditionally and holistically and helped me become the whole person I am today.
Message for the rest of the Class of 2021: I'm so proud of us! We had a crazy four years and made the best of it every step of the way. I can't wait to watch all of the cool things you do and places and spaces you occupy and make your own. I'm especially grateful to my senior friends and am so glad we made the memories we did together.
What will you remember most about your time at Bryn Mawr: I'll remember the people most, and then probably the traditions the second most, although I think the two go very hand in hand. Instead of trying to elaborate on that and how memorable Bryn Mawr as a whole was I felt like sharing the most memorable experience combining the two - this was getting volun-told that I'd be the 2021 songsmistress for junior year. To be honest I really didn't want to do it as I have no musical ability and if you know what goes down at a stepsing you know it's a very public, out in front of everyone kind of role and I wasn't too thrilled about what I saw as incoming public humiliation. But I decided a little bit before the first one that I wasn't going to take myself too seriously and just try and enjoy it, and I enjoyed it enough through the course of the year to volunteer for real this time going into senior year. I'm glad the class of 2021 was FINALLY able to get through the entirety of "Umbrella" at the Lantern Night stepsing this year, and in all I'd sum the experience up with one of my favorite quotes from this year which was "is it really stepsing if Carlie isn't yelling into a megaphone?"
Key Bryn Mawr Experiences: So, so many including but absolutely not limited to: representing the BMC Democrats on a panel on impeachment on CNN; interning for Senator Tammy Duckworth in 2019, tying the soccer program win record my junior year (and getting my first conference goalie shutout), the first BSLC Strike sit-in, yearly WTF week shenanigans, leading the final Anass on (modified) lantern night for the class of 2024, getting the Bryn Mawr partner internship at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center for 2020, trying all possible Excel combinations to pull off two majors in four years, every ridiculous stepsing moment, the sense of relief holding my two printed theses in my hand on the senior steps, weekend blue bus rides with my friends, so many late night crafts, among so many more.
Anything else you’d want to say about your Bryn Mawr experience: The whole thing is kind of indescribable. I feel like I got on a rollercoaster freshman year it didn't stop moving until I blinked and turned in my theses this semester. As cliche as it sounds if I were given the opportunity to turn around and do it again I absolutely would, maybe this time getting a little more sleep. Even though I'm ready to move on I don't think it's succinctly possible to put into words everything Bryn Mawr has meant to me. It's been tough at times and I feel like the college has grown a lot and has a lot of room still to grow, but I'm glad to have been witness to that and able to hopefully participate in that growth. Two people recently told me two things about myself that really resonated with me and that maybe I never would have reflected on had someone not expressed them out loud. First, I was told that over four years here I never failed to listen to my own voice and follow its direction; I never tried to quash it or ignore it, and second, that I was able to help people grow by existing and being myself. I feel like I came into Bryn Mawr with those two things to some degree, but that over time my peers and professors and other community members here helped me develop those skills and become the best version of myself I could be, those attributes included. I'm ready for the next chapter but will miss Bryn Mawr so much.
Members of the Class of 2021, we want to hear from you! Drop us a note at news@brynmawr.edu. Include a photo of yourself and let us know what you have planned for life after Bryn Mawr, who you'd like to thank, words of wisdom, or whatever else you'd like to say. We'll be sharing selected profiles on the College's website and social media channels over the next few weeks.