Hi there!

My name is Hanna Espeli-Allen. I was born and raised in the Upper Eastside of Miami Florida to an interracial, multinational family. My late mother was born and raised in a small ski town in Norway. And my father is African-American and was raised throughout Georgia and Northern Florida. I now attend Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Accounting, History, and Legal Studies. While in my undergraduate education I am pursuing my CMA Credential as well as NYS Real Estate Licensure. I have passed my Real Estate Salesperson State Exams (NYS) and am currently seeking a broker to sponsor my licensure!

I am proud to attend an institution that allows such incredible professional development programs which have offered me incredible connections across multiple fields. I am currently the elected Student Justice for the Class of 2025 on the Student Government Association. Additionally, I am a candidate of Hartwick’s Peace Corps Preparation Program, the first collegiate PCP program in New York State! I am fortunate to be heavily involved in campus operations and programming via my various roles spanning across a multitude of academic, operational, and athletic departments. I am an Income Tax Quality Reviewer and Advanced Tax Preparer for the IRS via the VITA/TCE Program, Residential Overnight Supervisor of the First-Year Dormitories, Lifeguard at Moyer Pool, Front Desk Attendant at the Commons, and Blue Key Ambassador for Hartwick Admissions. During the Summer of 2023, I was the Summer Programs Assistant for the Campus Vibrancy Department, Research Fellow at Ballotpedia, and Youth Activism Intern at TurnUp Activism.Currently, In addition to my on-campus roles, I am employed as a Lifeguard at the Catskill Recreation Center and Crew Member at McDonalds.

In my free time I enjoy ice skating, reading, hiking upstate, and traveling. I got my first passport at sixteen days old! I have since visited 32 Countries and plan to (eventually) visit 163 more! I am a very unsuspecting outdoorsy gal lol, when I’m home I enjoy surfing, fishing, kayaking, free diving, and furniture flipping with my brother.

Having attended a Performing and Visual Arts High School allowed me the opportunity to participate in artist residency programs, internships, and exhibitions. At Miami Arts Charter  I was a member of the Photography Program as well as a member of Key Club, Model United Nations, and the Senior Yearbook Club. In 2019, I was a participant of the Young Artist Initiative at the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA). This experience allowed me to exhibit in the YAI Spring 2020 Exhibition at the ICA. Following this program, with a piece I developed with guidance from the Young Artist Initiative Program and Miami Arts Charter, I received an Honorable Mention in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (2019). Additionally, I was nominated to exhibit in the Young Artist Gallery 2020 at the Women's Club of Coconut Grove. During the summer of 2020, I was selected for the Teen Artist Residency at Oolite Arts.

This fusion of radically different cultures, practices, and beliefs, as well as my personal experiences with grief, anxiety, and identity have heavily influenced my creative work. Although I no longer formally study photography and exhibit, I continue to foster my love of the arts outside of my formal education.