BY TUCKER REILLY, EDITOR IN CHIEF
St. Bonaventure University senior Hannah Roesch is this year’s recipient of the Mary A. Hamilton Woman of Promise Award, courtesy of the Jandoli School of Communications. In a ceremony on Tuesday in Doyle Hall, Roesch was officially recognized for her achievements at Bonaventure. The award ceremony was also significant because it had not been held in person since March 2020, just weeks before the university would end their semester due to COVID-19.
The event featured a keynote address from Kathleen Brady, a journalist, historian and author who graduated from Bonaventure in 1968. In her speech, Brady recounted the unique experience of women at the university and the tremendous progress that has been made since her time.
“I sometimes feel quite old here but not really, because there’s such a spirit of joy when you are at Bonaventure. Dr. Hamilton and I hail from the legendary days of old – at least I assume people have heard of them – when the men vastly outnumbered the women by seven,” said Brady. “I feel that on this wonderful occasion, we need to remember that too. Our difficulties made us strong and I think they gave us an edge. Not all [co-ed universities] were as successful as St. Bonaventure has been. It has only grown better and stronger with the years.”
Roesch’s accomplishments include a multitude of journalistic and communications-based experience, including TAPinto Greater Olean, PolitiFact New York and WSBU-88.3 FM “The Buzz”. She offered some advice to students in balancing responsibilities and finding things to get involved with on campus.
“Each venture I have taken on incorporates something I am passionate about. ‘The Buzz’: music. PolitiFact: finding the truth. TAP: writing and reporting. So, although I added to my plate when I joined each of these organizations, they all include something I’m excited about,” she said. “St. Bonaventure offers so many various clubs and opportunities, so find something that fits you. Before you know it, it might be your favorite time of the week. For me, it’s sitting in the DJ booth every Sunday for an hour, playing music.”
Still, she emphasized the need for personal care and acknowledged that the pursuit of involvement should be secondary to one’s mental health.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be involved and be sure to make your mental and emotional well-being a priority,” said Roesch. “If you need to take a step back and focus solely on school or solely on taking care of yourself, do it.”
While some students become aware of their path early in their college career, Roesch described her decision to join the Jandoli School and the guiding principle that led her to become a writer.
“When I first came to St. Bonaventure in the fall of 2018, I was an education major. I didn’t think much of what I wanted to do for a career back then. I thought only of what would provide me with the most security and the most possibility of contentment,” said Roesch. “But after a writing conference with my English 101 professor, I was marching my way to my education advisor’s office to change my major. He told me I could do it. I could write for the rest of my life as a career. I realized how important writing was and that’s what pushes me to do the best I can each and every time I put my work out there.”
reillyt19@bonaventure.edu
