Hannah Baldwin

Hannah is originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from Lock Haven University with her B.S. in Psychology and A.A. in Criminal Justice. She wanted to continue her education and specialize her knowledge in the field of psychology and work specifically with inmate populations. After graduate school, Hannah would like to continue onto a Ph.D. program in policy and work to change how the current criminal justice system works. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching Disney movies, playing board or video games, and planning her next adventure! Hannah loves to travel and hopes to one day backpack across Europe and see all 50 States.

What I was doing before RWU:

I graduated from Lock Haven University in May 2021 with my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice in Pennsylvania. I applied to a couple of programs, got the chance to tour Roger, and it just felt right being on campus. I was a working student and was able to work with the graduate director on the Bristol campus to set up a weekend meet up so that I could see campus and understand how this process would work. During this meeting, I was also able to meet a current student and talk about the experience being at Roger and in my program. 

My future plans:

My future plans include applying to Ph.D. programs. It is currently highly competitive, so if this does not work out right away, I do plan to stay in the area and continue my research with my advisor as well as find a research position nearby. I have heard of many great connections through my graduate program and plan to contact them if I am unable to accept a position as a Ph.D. student. 

My favorite parts of my student experience at RWU:

I enjoy the small class sizes, interactivity of the professors at this level, activities we get to do on and around campus with the Graduate Student Association, and how willing everyone is to help figure out every detail. Being out of state made this a little complicated, but there were people I could ask questions, students to help, and staff willing to explain certain processes to me that made the transition much easier.

Best advice for students planning to go to graduate school:
    
Be prepared to set time aside for just reading! Graduate work IS different than undergraduate work, but in my experience, this is mostly in the amount of reading that is required for class. I set large chunks of time aside to finish reading. Also, take it easy your first semester, don’t try to jump into too much at once. That doesn’t mean don’t get involved or go to events, BUT keep in mind what you can handle and stress levels and do what is best for you. 

Favorite things to do in the area:
    
I love walking around downtown Bristol. My house is located about five minutes from campus and 10 minutes from town. Shopping locally in town or the Saturday farmers market is a must! The Bristol Sunset Café has great coffee and Aiden’s Pub has a wonderful selection of food and drinks! Colt State Park is only two miles from my home as well and I have both walked and driven here. It is a wonderful spot to set up and get work done, just read a book, or enjoy walking/sitting in a natural area. On campus, there is also great walkway called the Shell Path that is wonderful to see the bay, sit around, or get some fresh air!