Food for thought: Outside the classroom, Binghamton offers lessons in compassion
Inspired by a tough childhood, Hannah Jiang cooks up community through volunteer work
Hannah Jiang ’26 grew up in Brooklyn, New York, as the daughter of a chef and a hairstylist. Starting in middle school, money was hard to come by; she began working at age 14 to help her family make ends meet.
These experiences instilled in her a strong work ethic and deep compassion.
A double major in philosophy, politics, and law (PPL), as well as sociology, Jiang dedicated a large part of her college experience to volunteering. She has been a part of the Binghamton University Food Co-Op, Broome County Habitat for Humanity, Binghamton Food Rescue, and more.
“Even though I’ve had hardships in the past, I’ve had a much easier time than other people. I’ve been privileged in a lot of ways, in having a loving family and a [roof] over my head; there are people who don’t,” Jiang reflects. “I feel like it’s important to recognize where I fall in that, where I have that privilege, and where I have this time. I’m able-bodied, so I should be able to give back and help other people.”
While only scheduled for two hours each week at the Food Co-Op, she spends significantly more time there because she loves the community. Always covering her co-workers’ shifts, she’s earned herself quite the nickname: The GOAT, or “greatest of all time.”
Throughout college, Jiang worked a plethora of jobs to afford rent. She managed a place that sold acai bowls, worked at a boba shop and at a real estate brokerage, set up events in The Union, and had summer internships in New York City in finance and urban planning.
On top of managing these jobs, volunteering, her academic workload, and a social life, Jiang served as a teaching assistant six times during her four years at Binghamton. As part of that, she played a key role in developing HWS 232 Fundamentals of Cooking, a culinary course offered through the Division of Health and Wellness Studies.
“I’m excited to see what becomes of the class after I graduate, if they expand and create more culinary arts classes,” she says.
Jiang chose Binghamton for a few reasons. Many people from her high school attend the University, which she says made her adjustment more comfortable. She also wanted to explore beyond New York City, without a cross-country move. The four-hour drive turned out to be the perfect distance, she says.
Lastly, she was searching for a good balance between her academic and social life. Binghamton gave her just that, as well as clubs and organizations that defined her experience.
Her long-term goal is to become a lawyer, perhaps in immigration or human rights. Although the specifics are still under development, she says she would like her legal career to be people-facing.
Right now, she is grateful for the smorgasbord of experiences she’s had at Binghamton, which has proved transformational.
“Everyone changes a lot in college, but I feel like my life didn’t really begin until college,” she says. “You’re challenged in so many ways as an adult, when you have to figure out, ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life? Oh my gosh, I have to cook dinner for myself. I have this exam and all these meetings for these clubs.’ It’s a lot to balance at the same time. So that struggle really forces you to grow up and face adult life. At the same time, I feel like I’m more comfortable with myself. I’ve made some friendships that opened my eyes to ‘This is what friendship should be. This is what community is.’”