Hannah, thanks for taking time to chat with 9 Inning Know it All.
Hi Norm, Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity! This is my first in-depth interview and I am so excited to be a part of 9 Inning Know It All.
Please tell us more about yourself.
I am originally from Honolulu, Hawaii where I was born and raised by my wonderful family. My parents own a private dental practice that was my grandfather’s, and he passed it down to my father.
You wouldn’t guess it, but I have three middle names: Elizabeth, Masae, and Kahalaomanoa. Elizabeth is a family name that I share with my mom, Masae is Japanese and the feminine version of my father and brother’s name, and Kahalaomanoa is my Hawaiian name given to me by a family friend.
I have one older brother who currently lives in San Francisco and works as a financial analyst. I went to Punahou School for all 13 years prior to attending Villanova University, so you can say that I grew up in a tight knit community. At Punahou I was really involved in athletics and participated in multiple sports such as swimming, paddling, and water polo. I am not so good on land.
I also have a passion for community service and tried to give as much time as I could to community events. Athletics kept me balanced with my schoolwork and allowed me to spend time with my friends. I am really lucky to have grown up in such a diverse place because it taught me a lot about how to adapt to different cultures, but also to take my diverse culture with me everywhere I go.
You’re from Honolulu, how did you end up at Villanova?
You might be familiar with the term, “island fever,” and this is one of the reasons I felt the need to broaden my horizons a bit when I was looking at colleges. I am a traveler and love meeting new people, so I applied all over the U.S., not knowing where I wanted to be. I wasn’t focused on playing a sport in college, in fact, I didn’t think this was a realistic option at the time. My main priority was to find a location and school that would be a good fit for me.
I first talked to a Villanova representative one of those college fairs. Although it was out of my comfort zone, like any amateur athlete feels, I began talking to the water polo coach and considered an opportunity to play for the school. Villanova happened to be the last school I looked at, and the only school I took an official visit to.
Villanova had all of the components I was looking for. I just made my decision the last day possible and didn’t look back! I can be indecisive at times, and this was no different. Villanova has a beautiful campus, it’s close to a major city, has a phenomenal athletic department, and I could experience the seasons.
In fact, I experienced my first snow day EVER during my freshman year due to a blizzard. I was so worried and bought a huge parka. My roommate called me an Eskimo.
What was your experience at Villanova like?
Now that it’s over, my experience at Villanova feels like a huge whirlwind. I tried as best as I could to take advantage of all that the school offered, but I know it was impossible to do everything. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was a communication major, with a Spanish minor.
I got involved as much as I could on campus. I studied abroad and became a study abroad ambassador, joined many clubs while creating a Hawaii Club, and I was even a part of making a social justice documentary. Being able to talk to my teachers one-on-one and interact with people all over the world helped me to grow as a person, and become more comfortable with other lifestyles.
Although being an athlete was like having a part time job, I am so grateful for that experience because not everyone gets that opportunity. Water polo allowed me to travel all over the country and accomplish things I never thought I could.
You are working as an intern for the Salem/Keizer Volcanoes this summer. How did you hear about the job and, are you enjoying it so far?
I’d like to think I am a multi-tasker, however, prior to the end of the school year, I was very concentrated on school and water polo that I didn’t spend a lot of time applying for jobs. I felt that it was important to put a full effort into what I was already committed to, and I didn’t have a problem using the summer to figure out my plans for after graduation.
I used LinkedIn as a tool to network and was contacted by a staff member here at the Volcanoes about a summer internship. Someone had dropped out of the program, so it was good timing for the both of us. This is my first time in Oregon and I wanted to move back to the west coast.
The internship seemed like a perfect summer opportunity to get some experience working in the sports industry. Because of my passion for sports, I want to translate that into a career as well.
I have been learning a lot about sales and marketing, while also learning about all game day operations. It has been interesting to see the different components of professional sports versus what I was familiar with in collegiate sports.
Minor League baseball is a real learning opportunity because while we are given a lot of responsibility, we also have the opportunity to implement our own ideas and see them out from conception to execution. In the future, I hope to work in community relations for a professional sports team.
Your brother pitched at Cornell. How big of a baseball fan are you and, who do you follow?
Correct, and because of this, baseball has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I think I went to more baseball games than I attended for my own sporting events! My brother was a phenomenal pitcher in the state of Hawaii, and then continued on to play at Arizona State University.
He transferred to Cornell after two years at ASU. I made the effort to see a lot of his games at ASU during breaks from school, and when he moved to Cornell, it was only a few hours from Villanova so I traveled to New York to see him.
I have been accustomed to being the cheerleader on the sidelines, and being a real “fan” of the game, or whichever team that my brother was on. This summer is a transition point for my love of baseball because I am watching someone other than a family member on the field, while actually contributing to the fan experience.
Hawaii also doesn’t have any professional sports, thus, I am not exactly a “super fan” of any professional baseball team. I cheer for the San Francisco Giants because I have family in SF and it is my parents’ favorite city! I also cheered for the Phillies during college because Shane Victorino is a Hawaii boy, and we always cheer for the locals!
Who’s your favorite Volcanoes player so far?
Hm, this is a tough one. I think there is a lot of potential on the team, not that I am an expert or anything, but I think all the guys get along really well and you can see that chemistry on the field. Let’s just hope none of these guys give me a hard time from my answer!
So far, I really like watching Chris Johnson pitch. I think he holds a lot of composure on the mound and serves as a leader. He’s really humble and you can tell that he can shrug off a bad pitch and come back with a strikeout! I also like watching Jeremy Sy and Sam Eberle play because I see the intensity in the way they play; they both field some great plays and are versatile. Again, I’m not an expert or anything.
[…] Continued from Part 1 […]