Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Batista.
Hannah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I’ve been a very motivated, creative, and goal-oriented person my whole life. From my elementary school years, my sights were set on attending the University of Florida. I slowly worked my way there, tooth and nail. I constantly challenged myself in high school, taking more AP classes than the year before. My high school was very college focused and drilled this mindset into those who were already academically motivated. By senior year, my desire to get into my dream college was as strong as ever, but so was the burnout. Between the competitive nature of my high school and the intense pressure i placed on myself, I was in a really dark place. I still think the lengths I pushed myself in high school have burned a hole in my work ethic that I’ve never been able to fully mend. But alas, I got into my dream school. I had the best 4 years of my life, I traveled to Europe for the first time, and lived fully. I graduated summa cum laude. I was really proud of myself. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do professionally and for the first time ever, I didn’t have a goal to strive towards. Right after graduation, my life took a turn to say the least. On a post-graduation celebratory road trip down the east coast, I had a near-death experience that altered the course of my life. I fell extremely sick from eating an oyster and ended up in the ER in sepsis 5 hours away from home. It triggered my first ever colitis flare up, and I was ultimately diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease with no cure. This only ignited my love for living even more and the thought of tying myself down to a job was the last thing I wanted to do. I ended up securing a bucket-list experience of living on Martha’s Vineyard for the summer and had one of the most memorable summers of my life, enjoying my new found outlook on life and soaking up every second of freedom while I still had it. I moved back to Miami at the end of summer, and almost immediately got hired to work on social media team at a PR firm. After about 8 months, I started to get the itch. What’s next? Is this what I want? Does this fulfill me? I see more for myself. The desire to travel was stronger than ever, and I began to fantasize about something a friend mentioned to me in passing: au pairing. It didn’t take long before I left my job and was on a plane to a meet a family that would quickly become like a second family to me. During this chapter, I also took a creative leap I’ve dreamt of for so long. That little voice in the back of my mind grew so loud that couldn’t ignore it anymore. It got to the point where the risk of staying the same was more fearful than the risk of just going for it. I began posting consistently on social media and channeling my long-contained creative chaos in my brain. That year and a half away from home was the most mind-expanding, perspective-altering season of my life thus far. I am, for now, back in Miami, anxiously yet excitedly trying to figure out my next step.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! My parents’ divorce at the ripe age of 12 is something I talk and write about often as it is one of the most painful things I’ve ever been through. Also, on a post-graduation celebratory road trip down the east coast, I had a near-death experience that altered the course of my life. I fell extremely sick from eating an oyster and ended up in the ER in sepsis 5 hours away from home. It triggered my first ever colitis flare up, and I was ultimately diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease with no cure.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a lot of experience in social media work (for myself and for other businesses), graphic design, and childcare.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I used to think I had really bad luck but I don’t like to think about luck in that way anymore. All of my life experiences have taught me so much and made me really appreciate the good.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannah.batista?igsh=MWplNHNtdTMyd3Jldw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hannahbatistaa?_r=1&_t=ZP-96aWoGtiAMJ
