For Columbus native and Mississippi State alumna Hannah Bateman, a love for the university can be traced to her fifth birthday party and the maroon-and-white cheerleading outfit she proudly wore.

Fast-forward a couple of decades and that love has only grown as she now works fulltime at her alma mater while simultaneously pursuing a graduate degree. In May 2016, Bateman received a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in communication/public relations. The following August, she began work on a master’s in public policy and administration in the political science department. She also was awarded a graduate assistantship in the College of Arts and Sciences’ communication office.

When the college announced a job search for the position of admissions coordinator, Bateman applied and, earlier this year, began her new duties. “The best way to describe my job is to say that I get to share my love for MSU with other people,” she said.

Recruiting prospective students to the campus’ largest and most diverse academic unit might seem a daunting task, but Bateman approaches her work with determination and cheerfulness. No doubt her ever-present smile and infectious laughter, combined with proven academic achievements, are among key reasons she was chosen for this critical role.

In addition to traveling regularly to recruiting events throughout the state and region, she is responsible for organizing related campus programs and making presentations at orientation sessions to prospective students and their parents. To stay connected with prospects, Bateman additionally helps manage the college’s social media accounts and updates the website www.cas.msstate.edu.

Her other duties include coordination of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council, undergraduate representatives from the 14 academic departments who serve as liaisons to Dean Rick Travis and other administrators.

Bateman never is shy about sharing with others her convictions about how an overall MSU education, along with specialized training in communication and public relations, “fully prepared me” for the job.

“I learned real-world skills in my major, and I apply them every day,” she said. “I was taught how to communicate effectively and in a positive, welcoming way. I am able to do that with future students and their parents, along with those I work with on campus.”

Not surprisingly, Bateman comes from a family of Bulldogs. Both parents attended the land-grant institution, while an older brother is a geosciences graduate now working in the campus Office of Environmental Health and Safety, and a younger brother is about to begin his sophomore year in civil engineering.

Asked what she most enjoys about her new job, Bateman replied, “I’ve always heard that if you love your job, then you’ll never work a day in your life. Working at MSU, I believe that to be true.”