by Jake Fain
Staff Writer
Each semester, a handful of students stand out for their hard work and dedication. Briahna Hansen, Union graduate and social work major, has been hired as the second female officer for Safety and Security while simultaneously working to attain her master’s degree.
Hansen graduated from Union University in the spring. She then returned to Union to earn her master’s degree in social work. She only had a 10-day break for summer vacation to return to her family’s home in Little Rock, Ark.
She has been working as a supervisor at The Lexington Inn kitchen on Union’s campus but was in search of a second job. Five weeks ago, Hansen joined the Safety and Security team.
Her usual shift begins by checking her equipment and meeting with her supervisor to work out her patrol path and which vehicle she may use. She tends to stand out because she is one of only two female security officers on campus.
To her, that’s not a negative.
“My favorite part of my job is the staff and the environment I’m in,” Hansen said. “Most of them love God, so it’s great that we can openly discuss theology, which is technically considered a legal issue in some places. I also enjoy being on call for my shifts since it gives me some variety.”
On top of everything on her plate, Hansen also plans to begin a women’s shelter. She got the idea after participating in an internship in Louisville at a homeless shelter that is intended for men seeking help with addiction, she said.
Women would wander in to ask for help with various crises, such as addiction or abuse, she said.
Hansen hopes to build the shelter in Louisville because she is familiar with the lack of resources available to women in need in that region. Hansen has prepared a formal business proposition to present to potential board members and hopes to find a suitable location for the shelter.
After she graduates next May, Hansen hopes to move on from simple clinical work to locations where she can really make what she calls “a real impact.” She is fluent in Spansih and hopes to use her bilingual skills, she said.
