Hannah Poyo ’14 MBA ’15
Hannah Poyo didn’t expect that a job in the technology industry would let her live out her love of serving others every day. But that’s exactly what she enjoys about being a trade show and event planner at Q2, a software company that provides digital banking solutions.
As a corporate event planner, Hannah creates experiences that foster relationships and ultimately connect communities with the solutions that best serve their needs. In 2020, Hannah was honored as one of the Professional Convention Management Association’s 20 in Their Twenties, which awards young leaders in the business events industry.
“At Franciscan, my undergrad studies gave me the practical knowledge and critical thinking skills I needed, and my graduate studies gave me the courage to be who I am today,” Hannah says.
As a management and marketing double major, Hannah gained hands-on business and leadership experiences through course work that included realistic team-based projects and the student business club, now called Christian Students in Free Enterprise. Then, when she pursued her MBA, she found the confidence to apply her skills, particularly through case studies, workshops, and her professors’ mentorship.
Hannah also discovered a strong, supportive faith community in the Totus Tuus, Maria Household. But one of her most transformational moments came overseas, when she traveled to Lourdes while studying abroad in Franciscan’s Austria Program.
In Lourdes, Hannah had looked forward to serving the many pilgrims who visit the baths seeking healing. Instead, she was assigned to assist one pilgrim throughout her entire stay. Hannah was disappointed at first. However, as the days passed, she found herself grateful for the opportunity to help care for him and talk with him.
“Going to Lourdes gave me a spiritual challenge,” Hannah says. “It showed me that I was not here to rely on myself. I was here to serve in whatever way the Holy Spirit and Our Lady were calling me to.”
“Franciscan does such a great job of combining education, spirituality, and community,” she adds. “It gave me a heart for service.
