In her second year at St. Olaf College, Hannah Hartz ’17 traveled to Morocco as part of an Interim program that examined how geometry plays a strong role in the country’s Islamic tradition.

That month abroad was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

“It challenged my beliefs, tested my patience, and helped open my eyes to a whole new educational pathway that I had never expected to follow,” Hartz says.

It also solidified her decision to go on Global Semester, a signature faculty-led program that takes St. Olaf students to a variety of countries around the world.

It challenged my beliefs, tested my patience, and helped open my eyes to a whole new educational pathway that I had never expected to follow

“Traveling with 16 other Oles to seven different countries has by far been the most memorable experience during my time on the Hill,” Hartz says. “I was able to spend five months traveling and studying things like Egyptian history and the religions of India, all while completing a major in exercise science. It led to a tremendous amount of self-growth and impacted the ways in which I view the world and its citizens.”

Opportunities like this are something that Hartz, who will be the first person in her family to complete a four-year college degree, doesn’t take for granted.

She was drawn to St. Olaf by the warmth of its community and the numerous ways she could get involved and learn — from studying abroad and gaining lab experience to being part of the women’s swimming and diving team. And in her time on the Hill, she has taken advantage of all of those opportunities.

Her experiences on the Hill have helped Hartz decide to pursue a career as an occupational therapist. This summer she volunteered and shadowed therapists at On With Life, a brain injury rehabilitation facility in Ankeny, Iowa.

“I’ve learned an invaluable amount of information about the field of occupational therapy, as well as neurological rehabilitation,” she says.

And no matter what she goes on to do, Hartz says she’s confident that her liberal arts education has prepared her well.

“The ability to study outside of a specific major or path has allowed for a wide range of understanding in different contexts and has allowed me to be a flexible learner,” she says.