By On May 11, Bella Hawk is set to make history as the graduate speaker for Carroll College’s 114th graduation ceremony. Her class navigated the complexities of COVID-19 during her freshman year, tackling academic challenges while balancing athletic commitments.
Hawk’s journey has been filled with cheerfulness and resilience, embodying her childhood dream of delivering the graduation speech to her fellow peers.
“Everyone is so willing to make your dreams come true here,” said Hawk. “If you have a goal and you want to accomplish it, there are so many resources for you to be able to achieve it. Carroll has taught me a lot about accepting and embracing change and this is a very safe environment to do that.”
Hawk, a senior biology major from Charlo, Montana, was chosen by her classmates to speak at this year’s graduation. Hawk is an active member of the Carroll and Helena communities as an athlete on the volleyball team and a spin instructor off campus at Skyre Spin & Sweat.
Through her time at Carroll, Hawk has faced many challenges from COVID-19 and academic struggles. She learned to embrace and overcome every obstacle and grow as a student, athlete, and individual.
“I struggled to move to college during COVID-19 because I had high expectations of what college life was supposed to look like,” said Hawk. “It was hard not being able to communicate with people face to face, especially being such a social person. It was tough on me mentally and it made me question what my future even looked like. I think as time went on, I found more ways to safely interact with people and it showed me that even during those dark times and tough times, you can make the best out of it.”
Currently, Hawk has felt like she has developed a sense of community and familiarity on campus at Carroll. Being the class graduation speaker has been a dream of Hawk’s since she was a little girl, so she is overjoyed and enthusiastic to share some final words with her peers.
“I have always been a big people person,” said Hawk. “I feel like during my time here at Carroll, I’ve gotten to know a wide variety of students with different majors and interests. Being on the volleyball team and being involved with the theater department has also expanded my bubble as well. Talking at graduation is a good representation of Carroll as a whole and I’ve always wanted to do it since I was a girl.”
One of the most important lessons that Hawk learned at Carroll is that no matter where you go, the community you build on campus is forever.
“Playing volleyball for Carroll was one of the most amazing, and also most difficult times of my life,” said Hawk. “Experiencing failure so much is hard, but the friendships made on and off the court are forever. The same goes for the plays I took part in, that’s another supportive community providing me with a great outlook. These people all see you at your best and your worst, and everyone just wants you to be comfortable and loved; all these bonds I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
When Hawk first made her way to Carroll, she said that it was very hard to be apart from her family. Her family has always been a big part of her life and she found herself making the three-hour drive home once, sometimes twice a month during her freshman year as she navigated the hardships of COVID-19.
“Being close to home made the transition into college a lot easier for me,” said Hawk. “I found myself going home less frequently each year as I got more comfortable being apart from my family. I know as I get older, I never want to live further than four hours from my family. I love them and I hope as I move forward in life, I can stay close by.”
As her chapter at Carroll ends and the doors to a new beginning open, Hawk plans on moving to Boise, Idaho, where she will learn to live her life away from family and face all the challenges that come with creating a new community. Although she is nervous, she knows it’s good because it means she’s doing something outside of her comfort zone.
As Hawk says her farewell and moves on, she is deeply grateful.
“First off, I am very thankful to my team for helping me become the absolute best version of me I can be,” said Hawk. “I also want to thank my biology professors and those in the STEM department because I would have never been able to pass my classes without all the extra office hours and the accommodation to deadlines and assignments. But most importantly, I want to thank my family for continuously being my number one supporter and being there for me whenever I needed them.”
Bella’s speech was spoken from the heart. She was made for that moment!