MILLENNY WOMAN OF THE MONTH - Hannah Avila

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what do you do?
Hi, my name is Hannah!  I recently moved to Fresno, California after living down in Southern California (20 minutes away from Disneyland!) for the past 5 years. Currently, I work as a Program Assistant at a private University. In my spare time I volunteer for a non-profit that focuses on developing leaders in urban communities, as well as serving at a local high school and elementary school. To say my plate is a little full would be an understatement. :)

What’s the best part about your job?
There are so many things I love about my job. I work for a graduate program so while my interactions with students are limited, I do find a lot of joy in helping students and working alongside my awesome coworkers. The second piece would be travel. Honestly, it’s a dream that I get paid to travel! I get to coordinate and facilitate “residency” weeks for students in one of our online programs three times a year — that doesn’t include the travel I have to do before each residency to scope out the next location! 

What’s the next big success you are working towards?
To be honest, I am a little hesitant to answer this question…being a natural planner and detailed oriented person, I find it way too easy to plan one to two years in advance. I found myself a few weeks back planning for 2021 and I realized that it’s impossible to know what’s to come. I have decided to focus on developing the best “me“ I can be in the now.  I work hard to be present in every moment, loving people and showing kindness to them, pursuing integrity in my work, and not allowing the anxiety of the future overcome me - theses are all practical ways for me to work toward success in my future.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?
There are a couple! The first one would be starting an Etsy business in my sophomore year of college to sell my knitted scarves and beanies. I had an amazing opening week and then I realized how much work actually goes into a business…haha (kudos to the MILLENNY ladies rocking the business world) so I closed the shop a few months later. I did enjoy the aspect of marketing and business models so much that I created another business a few years later for my calligraphy/hand lettering and bookbinding. That business kept me going for a while but again, life happens and last December I had to take a break!
The second would be graduating with a Bachelors of Art in Theology. As all graduate students know, it is a momentous and dazzling feeling to walk across that stage and receive your diploma!

What topic could you spend hours talking about?
Your story! I have sat down with so many people to listen to their story — what has shaped them to be the person they are today — and each time I am amazed by how fast the time goes. Grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting with a new friend is a pastime for me.

What’s your favorite place you’ve been to? Where is your dream place to go to and why?
Maui, Hawaii! The beauty of that place is unreal. I think it’s been my favorite place because of the memories it holds. Twenty of my close family members went with me and we stayed for about 12 days — just basking, drinking, and having a good time. If I was able to hop on a plane tomorrow and fly anywhere it would  Scotland. Honestly, I cannot give you one reason why I would choose there except for the fact that it’s always intrigued me since I was little.

What’s the most amazing trust story you’ve heard?
I’ve heard a lot of incredible true stories, so it’s hard to pick one but I think the most impactful story is my mom’s. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and came out of that season of her life as a survivor. The road was long and painful but despite losing both of her breasts she now lives with great courage and conviction that she is strong enough to face anything that comes her way. 

What do you wish you were better at? What skills would you like to learn?
I wish I was better at storytelling. Not like bedtime storytelling but just everyday-recounting-life storytelling. You know how there are some people that can really captivate you with the way they speak and share a story — like they tell you about this funny thing that their coworker did and you can imagine it almost as if you were there yourself? That is a skill I would love to build upon.

Who inspires you the most?
My mom and grandma inspire me the most. Their lives have been filled with tremendous pain yet still they persevere and choose joy over grumbling, and love over indifference. 

What’s usually in your MILLENNY bag?
So. Many. Things. But the everyday items are my laptop, Madewell wallet, Baggu reusable bag, sun glasses, Flint roller, current book, and water bottle. :)

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