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This newly established award will honor one graduating senior at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration by celebrating their embodiment of Hannah’s spirit and energy. The award will be presented annually during the spring Hotel Ezra Cornell event. The financial support will help ease the student’s transition to the professional world after graduation.
Our goal is to raise $50,000 to grow the endowed fund established by Hannah’s parents, Nancy and Brady MacDonald. Your support will significantly increase the award’s annual impact. We aim to achieve this by April 30, 2025.
About Hannah
Hannah MacDonald graduated from the Nolan Hotel School in 2022 and tragically passed away less than a year later from an undetected genetic heart defect. After graduation, Hannah traveled solo through 10 European cities before pursuing a career in food service planning, all while living her best life in New York City.
The award recipient should share the spirit, pride, energy, and interests that Hannah demonstrated while a Cornell Hotelie.
Those who knew her best would tell you that she was friendly, thoughtful, driven, enthusiastic, generous, and passionate about Cornell. Her freshman year, Hannah auditioned for Big Red Bear and performed as Touchdown the Bear during Cornell sporting and social events. She worked all four years at the Statler Hotel as a bellhop, front desk clerk, and Banfi hostess. She was actively involved in Hotel Ezra Cornell’s executive board as design manager and sales assistant director. During her junior year, Hannah was elected president of the Cornell Hotel Society's collegiate chapter. She became a teaching assistant for the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series and the Introduction to Wines course.
Hannah was a leader and a mentor who lifted others up and approached every opportunity with energy and dedication.
Please join us in growing this endowment to support a Hotelie as they embark on their journey into the real world.
