Senior Spotlight: Hope Hansen 

Be careful not to peg recent Fresno State graduate Hope Hansen only as an agricultural business student.

The Santa Rosa native has also gained key wine industry experience as a sales intern & associate at CRŪ Winery in Madera.

She also used her experience raising different types of livestock growing on her Russian River family farm at the Red Wave Classic Junior Livestock Show.

A national competitor for the campus shooting team, she was also a member of the Delta Zeta sorority & campus ski & snowboard club.

 

Q: Why were you drawn to your department/degree field initially?

Hansen: “I grew up on a small farm with horses and 4-H projects so agriculture has always been a focus in my life. When joining FFA in high school, that’s when I realized that I can make a career and future with ag.”

 

Q: What organizations have you interned with?

Hansen: “I was a wine sales associate for Cru Winery (Madera). I grew up in the wine country and was attracted to the wine and viticulture industry in Northern California.”

 

Q: What were your main responsibilities in the internship(s)?

Hansen: “I helped guests in the tasting room and helped with event planning for wine club members. I also shipped online orders and participated in virtual tasting happy hours when COVID-19 became a concern.”

 

Q: Did any of your co-workers, mentors in the internship have Fresno State ties?

Hansen: “Fellow 2020 viticulture graduate Kaylah Vasquez was also a wine sales associate who worked in the tasting room with me. I am going to miss her so much!!”

 

Q: What are the next step(s) in your career path?

Hansen: “I moved back to Sonoma County because I needed a more essential job during these times and got an opportunity with Fruition Sciences working as a vineyard field technician, and I am still working for Cru Winery as a sales representative in the North Bay.”

 

Q: What types of skills or experience have you gained from the internship(s) that will help you along this career path?

Hansen: “I have gained a ton of business experience and seen how they operate and how well to work with customers. I have a passion for sales and marketing, which has been derived from my internship opportunity and experience.”

 

Q: What were some of your favorite Fresno State classes and faculty and why?

Hansen: “I really enjoyed Dr. Lone’s marketing class because it was a big interest of mine and it was challenging in all good ways. He is so passionate about his profession and about marketing so it made it that much more enjoyable to take this class.”

Hansen: “He and Dr. Berends helped mentor me through most of college experience. In and out of the classroom they have been consistent and caring through my college career. It saddens me that I can’t give them one more handshake at graduation and tell them how much they impacted my college experience and future decisions.”

 

Q: What was your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?

Hansen: “I grew up on a small farm in the Russian River Valley where my parents have a small horse boarding business and raised me and brothers 4-H projects. We had horses, chickens, dairy replacement heifers, market lambs, ducks, cats, and dogs.”

 

Q: Were you a part of any clubs/organizations at Fresno State?

Hansen: “I am a former member of the Delta Zeta sorority, the ski and snowboard club and I competed on the Fresno State Shooting Team for two years. The shooting team is really the most valuable group of friends that I gained at Fresno State along with a few of my sorority girlfriends.”

 

Q: Did you participate in any other outreach activities/events that benefited the community?

Hansen: “I volunteered at the Red Wave Classic junior livestock show under Dr. Perry and Dr. Cordeiro for one semester. I enjoyed giving back to the livestock community as it did for me when I was showing market lambs growing up. Through Delta Zeta we raised thousands of dollars for the Starkey Hearing Foundation through a few events each year and also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald house at the Children’s Hospital.”

 

Q: What was your most memorable experience at Fresno State?

Hansen: “Going to the national competition for the shooting team and traveling to San Antonio, Texas. All of my teammates were in the Jordan College and had the same passion for agriculture, which made this experience even more rewarding.”

 

Q: Are there people you would like to thank in your family that have been key influences for you receiving your diploma?

Hansen: “I want to thank my parents and especially my dad for motivating me when studies got difficult, and he helped push me all the way through.”

 

Q: Are there any other interesting personal/family/other notes about yourself that you would like to include?

Hansen: “Thank you Fresno State for the best four years!”