April 15, 2020

Moore School sophomore Hannah White was recently elected the new student body vice president of the University of South Carolina.

White, from Greenville, South Carolina, said she always knew of the “prestigious” Moore School at USC. Since both of her parents own their own businesses, she grew up learning about the business world, so the Moore School seemed like a “perfect fit” when it came time for White to choose a university and program.

A finance and marketing double major, White wasted no time getting involved in student organizations once she arrived on campus. During her first year, she joined Student Government’s Freshman Council; Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a sorority; and University Ambassadors, USC’s student-run tour guides.

“Before coming to USC, I didn’t know what my undergraduate experience would look like,” White said. “I only knew two things: that I wanted to get involved on campus and that I wanted to implement change through that involvement.”

White said she was able to meet a diverse group of students through her involvement in these student organizations.

“Being able to meet many people all across USC and see the areas where we succeed and areas that need improvement, I felt that to accomplish the goal I set before my freshman year, I have to step out of my comfort zone and try to advocate on behalf of students’ needs and express the common concerns I have been presented with by being in a variety of rooms with students,” White said.

After serving on the inclusion and equity committee as a part of Freshman Council and then as the outgoing student body vice president’s director of programming, White decided to run for an executive office alongside now-student body president Issy Rushton.

White has an agenda to meet her goal of advocating for the student body that she has come to care so deeply for.

“[As student body vice president,] I hope to increase the outreach of student government by partnering with as many organizations as possible throughout my term,” White said. “Specifically, I am excited to introduce a few new initiatives to accomplish this goal and revamp a lot of traditional initiatives to engage more student organizations and the student body as a whole.”

Adding that being a student of the Moore School has helped her in “more ways than I can count,” White said that the skills she has gained in professionalism through her classes have stuck with her through every meeting, interview and presentation.

“By being a part of Alpha Kappa Psi, I have gained a lot of knowledge pertaining to how to network and how to improve my resume and interview skills for any given opportunity,” White said. “I truly accredit a lot of my growth and how far I have come to the Moore School and Alpha Kappa Psi.”

Using these skills beyond USC’s campus, White has accepted an internship with Ernst & Young professional services firm for summer 2020. She said that she hopes to gain knowledge and experience in the financial services industry and to network with people pursuing similar career paths.

“I hope to build strong connections with my supervisor and continue to gain experience working in team settings,” she added.

Although she will be unable to address the student body in person until fall 2020 because of the closing of campus to slow the spread of COVID-19, White said she encourages her fellow students to “stop, breathe and find a healthy balance in life” during this time of uncertainty.

“Most importantly, I think that we all should never take anything for granted again,” White said. “After going through this pandemic, we should value every class we have the privilege of going to, every event we can attend, every resource that is provided to us on campus and, most importantly, family and friends. We never know what the future holds, so while we do have these blessings, let’s appreciate them to the fullest.”

-Erin Mooney