Pullman Scholars in Their Own Words: Hannah Kim

Hannah Kim packed up and headed to Savannah, GA this fall to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. She’s now studying sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design. We caught up with Hannah to hear how her first year is going, and why she enjoys being a Pullman Scholar

I was drawn to my college, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), by the academics and the opportunities. SCAD is known as a great art school that has an excellent program in my major, sequential art. It also has alumni who work at Pixar, which is my dream studio. Knowing that there were alumni who were working there was so inspiring and made me feel like at SCAD my dream could become a reality!

My passions are art and storytelling. Art is really special because you can use your creativity to make things that mean a lot to you, yet also resonate with and impact other people. When I’m not making art or doodling, I like to read, journal, and play guitar, ukulele, and volleyball.

In my first quarter of college, I grew so much as an artist and person. Each week challenged me to do more than I thought I could and that resulted in me growing my confidence and my artistic skills. However, it was a really difficult adjustment. My school is an 18 hour drive from Chicago, in a city where I knew no one. I was very homesick, but I found a wonderful community in my friends and my church to help me through. My school is in Savannah, GA, which is a very different city than Chicago. I love walking to class in the city and exploring it with my friends when I have free time. The classroom environment and relationships with professors are much more professional than high school. They have stricter standards that sometimes seem too difficult, but you are capable of reaching them and grow so much when you do.

I love being a Pullman Scholar. The Pullman Foundation has made it possible for me to pursue a dream that I was doubtful could be a reality a year ago. I am studying what I love in a beautiful city with wonderful friends, on my way to my dream career. I am so grateful for the Pullman Foundation and how they support you not only financially, but as a person. They celebrate your accomplishments and progress with you and are there for you as a guiding hand. I know that if I ever struggle, they will also be there to help me. I feel so encouraged and supported by them!