Hannah Casey

Student

Hannah Casey said she was unsure what she wanted to do with her life before she started studying at Bay. Since she began Bay a few years ago, she has created a clear pathway for her future and started taking concrete steps toward her life goals.

Hannah graduated from high school at Rapid River Schools in the spring of 2021. From there, starting college at Bay was an obvious choice.

“It’s local and was super affordable for me. I didn’t really have a set degree in mind, so I figured I’d come here to try and figure things out,” she said.

In the fall 2021 semester, Hannah officially became a Bay student. While she is working towards a general education degree with a focus on science at Bay, she plans to use this as a stepping stone on her path to getting a more specialized degree later on.

“Essentially, my end goal is a zoology degree. A general science degree here will get me into that program at Northern Michigan University,” she said.

After she gets her zoology degree, she aims to work as a wildlife biologist.

“I just love animals. They’re super important to the environment, and I want to help conserve their place on Earth,” Hannah said.

One of the things Hannah has enjoyed most about her Bay experience is the dedication shown by her instructors and the other people working at the college.

“I would say the instructors and advisors go out of their way to get to know you. I noticed teachers actually check on your progress, whereas universities kind of just see you as a number,” she said.

Along with her studies, Hannah has actively participated in Bay’s tutoring program.

“I’m an SI lead for Intro to Chemistry and a tutor for a bunch of different stuff,” she said.

Hannah plans to transfer to NMU in the fall of 2024. While this is still a long time away, she said the staff at Bay has already helped her prepare for the eventual transition.

“My advisors here at Bay have actually gotten me in touch with NMU advisors too, instead of just leaving me in the dark,” she said.

At NMU, Hannah intends to earn her zoology degree by the end of the winter 2026 semester.

“I’m hoping to do some work in forestry as a wildlife biologist,” she said.

She said incoming college students who are still looking for a career pathway could find valuable guidance and room to experiment at Bay.

“I would definitely recommend Bay to other people if they don’t have a clear path yet. It’s a good place to try things out before making that decision,” Hannah said.