BIO DETAILS
Name: Hannah Bell Graduation Year: 2017
Degree: BA; Criminal Justice and Sociology with a Legal Studies Minor
College: Fulbright
Honors College: Yes
What RSOs were you involved in and did you hold any leadership roles?
- ASG – FreshHOG (’13-’14), Senator (’14-’15), Razorback Action Group member (’15-’17)
- SOOIE – Vice President of Finance and Administration (’15); Treasurer (’14)
- Alpha Phi Sigma – the Criminal Justice Honor Society
- SAB – Vice President of Membership (’16); Director of Member Engagement (’15); Homecoming Co-Chair (’14)
Hannah Bell at the Antonin Scalia Law School
What are you doing now and where?
I am currently a third-year law student and serve as my journal’s Editor-in-Chief at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. I also work as a law clerk at a family law firm during the school year.
What is your favorite memory from your time at the U of A?
Storming the field after beating LSU and taking back the Boot is a hard memory to beat. The entire stadium was on fire. The passion we all felt for the Hogs was unparalleled, and everyone knows that the LSU game is the biggest game every year, there is more at stake there than any other game. Playing Texas A&M in DWR is also a memory I’m incredibly fond of because again, the environment was unlike any I’d ever seen before. The stadium was on fire.
What experiences at the U of A have served you best in your career/grad school?
Being active in multiple student organizations taught me how to successfully lead organizations, delegate tasks, and most of all be reliable, clear, and honest. In law, those skills are incredibly important.
Time management is another big thing I learned at U of A. I was incredibly busy during undergrad, I regularly took seven-minute, no-alarm naps because of my hectic schedule. I worked, took full course loads, and was involved across campus in various organizations. Because of this, I learned how important scheduling is and how to accommodate various events at the same time. I also learned that you have to set aside time for yourself and your family and friends. I live and die by my Google calendar still today, if it isn’t on there, I’m not going.
What does it mean to be part of the Razorback family?
Above all, being a member of the Razorback family means being a part of the best category a person could claim. It means that when you’re halfway across the world studying abroad, you meet up with fellow Hogs because they can make you feel like you’re home when you’re homesick. It means when you’re in the airport and see someone in a Razorback shirt, you become instant friends. It means being a part of something much bigger than yourself that makes your heart swell with pride just thinking about it. It means being willing to vouch for and mentor Hogs, even if you’ve never met them before.
How would you most like to give back as an alumnus/a of the University of Arkansas?
Mentorship. As a student who didn’t know much about college, the “big city,” law school, or where I wanted to go after I graduated, I relied heavily on the advice of mentors. Mentors became my sounding boards. They listened to my successes and they let me cry about my failures, without judgment. They were always able to see the bigger picture when it came to my future. They put my best interest first, even when I couldn’t see it myself. That guidance is invaluable. Mentorship is the single best thing that came from my time at the University of Arkansas. Whether it was a professor, an administrator, or a member of the staff, all of them invest in students so deeply that you can’t help but succeed because of it. I hope to be able to provide a fraction of the mentorship I was shown while at the U of A.
