Katelyn Hanna
I was a member of the Maynooth Feminist society from 2016 and we fought very hard to engage students in the call for abortion rights (two years before the 2018 referendum was even called). We organised 'Repeal Week' in early 2017 which was a week full of educational events such as 'legislation behind the 8th amendment' and 'cisnormativity and abortion'. As part of this week we also gathered anonymous abortion stories from Maynooth students and the drama society 'performed' them by reading them aloud to attendees of that particular event. It was a very emotional and important event. We invited speakers in for a panel event and organised a full on strike which saw students leave their lectures on 8 March 2017, engage in chanting outside JH and then a march down to the library where we tried to be as disruptive as possible. From there, the abortion pill bus, which had been travelling around Ireland at the time, stopped by and spoke to us on the side of the road. They told us that we were the most engaged student campus that they'd experienced, which we very proud of. We followed them into Dublin where we took part in the national strike for Repeal.
There were a lot of other intiatives and events we organised in the fight for repeal, but that week was particularly monumental.
I was awarded a Taught Masters Scholarship in 2017.
The reason I chose Maynooth was because I happened to be in my kitchen at home one day when the radio was on and they were discussing different colleges and mentioned that Maynooth was considered the friendliest college in Ireland. That is the reason I chose to go there and that was my experience.
I learned how to conduct research and think critically which has served me well and I think will continue to do so even more so now with the rise of AI and the far right.
Get involved in clubs and societies. They add so much to your college experience and the things you learn there will serve you long after you've left.
Details of your career path to date
Not too long after graduating I became a Project Manager and Researcher with a women's history organisation. I was involved in the campaign to make Brigid's Day a national holiday (which it now is) and I was the lead researcher behind the Peace Heroines exhibition which launched in Stormont in 2022 and has since been showcased in Áras an Uachtaráin, the UN headquarters in New York, the Capitol Building in Washington DC, Leinster House and countless community centres and museums around Ireland. In May 2023 I began working as a Corporate Communications Executive in the CCPC.
Can you tell us of any career highlight to date?
A career highlight would definitely be the launch of the Peace Heroines exhibition. I was the sole researcher behind this exhibition, and project manager. It launched in Stormont and has since been showcased in Áras an Uachtaráin, the UN headquarters in New York, the Capitol Building in Washington DC, Leinster House and countless community centres and museums around Ireland. The exhibition tells the story of some of the women who were involved in the peace process in Northern Ireland. Working with some of the women featured in the exhibition was such an honour for me.
What does your current role involve?
I'm currently a Corporate Communications Executive. I work on both the corporate and internal communications fronts of our organisation. My role involves crafting and disseminating key messages to a wide array of stakeholders and coordinating organisation-wide internal meetings and initiatives .
I am also an active member of our Wellbeing Committee, where I contribute to initiatives that foster a healthy and supportive work environment for all employees. I was particularly proud to lead our Pride initiatives in 2024 which saw us participate in the Dublin Pride parade for the first time.
What advice would you give to Maynooth University students entering the job market, either generally speaking or in regard to your specific career sector?
They say if you work in what you love you'll never work a day in your life. But it can also be true that if you work in what you love, what you love will become work. Don't let work ruin what you love. If that means going into a simple 9-5 job and having lots of time around that to do what you love as a hobby, that could be the better option for you.