Hana Braitsch

Name:  Hana Braitsch Hana Braitsch

College:  Cowell College

Department:  Economic

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive?  Blanche McKenzie Scholarship in Economics

What year do you expect to graduate? Spring 2021

Where do you call home?  Tokyo, Japan

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?  When I visited UC Santa Cruz prior to making my decision, I was amazed by its location and beauty of its campus. Growing up in major cities, I hoped to spend my years in college in nature, and I thought UC Santa Cruz was the perfect place.

What is your field of focus?  Economics. I am specifically interested in Econometrics.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?  I hope to spend a few years gaining more research experience, and then going to graduate school for a PhD in Economics.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?  I was very lucky to work with Professor Samaniego as an undergraduate research assistant, and this experience completely changed my goals. I was introduced to research in macro labor, and I knew from that moment on that I wanted to eventually work on my own research in Economics. I am very grateful to have had her as my mentor.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?  Try to get involved with every opportunity you get as an undergraduate student at UC Santa Cruz, whether that is undergraduate research opportunities, clubs or sports. Especially for students in the Economics department, I really recommend getting involved in undergraduate research because you will have a chance of firsthand experience in Economics that you wouldn’t be able to get from classes.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?  This scholarship will help me pursue my goal of attending graduate school for a PhD in Economics. I am interested in macro labor, and I hope to research about the labor market in Japan.

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