Written by Katie Shpak, University Writer
“I remember my very first week of school at Post; we had to give a presentation in our College Success Seminar course on the goals we wanted to achieve at Post. I told my class that in my four years at Post, I wanted to either achieve graduating with a double major or earn a master’s degree. I am beyond proud of myself for not only achieve this goal but to have also changed that OR into an AND,” says ’18 and ’21 Post Alumna Hannah Benac.
Benac graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a bachelor’s degree in finance, and an undergraduate certificate in forensic training before continuing on to earn her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance. Not only did she achieve her initial goal from her freshman year, but she did it with flying colors. Benac is the first student at Post University to be awarded the Baldrige Scholar award TWICE – once after completing her undergraduate degrees and then again this spring after completing her master’s.
“Reaching this milestone is a tremendous honor, and I hope I am the first of many who are able to achieve this accomplishment,” said Benac.
During her time at Post, Benac also played on the women’s basketball team. She expresses gratitude towards each coach that helped guide her.
“I want to thank Coach Taj for opening the door for me even to attend the university, all the coaches I had during my attendance, and the coach I would like to thank most of all is (Coach Jon). Being a part of his program is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I cannot thank him enough for the amount of guidance and support I received from him during my collegiate career.”
Because Benac was a scholar student and athlete, she had to practice and improve her time management skills. Academics was her main priority, while basketball was secondary. With each year, Benac noticed she continued to get better at this prioritization, focusing on achieving her academic goals. Beyond those key components throughout her educational pursuit, she also expresses the challenge of managing other aspects of life. Family. Friends. Hardships.
“Navigating through life is not simply something that can be overcome or mastered; it is something we as people will always be challenged with. I have made many mistakes in my life, and the hardest thing for me to come to terms with is accepting the mistakes I have made. But these past few months have taught me to dwell less on my past and focus more on my future and how I can grow from my mistakes in life,” said Benac.
Benac is excited to begin her accounting career this month at Plante Moran in Chicago, working in the auditing department. Her long-term goal is to reach the partner level of an accounting firm.
“Doing so will require hard work, but I am fully confident this is a goal I can eventually achieve,” said Benac.