New Blinn Alumni and Friends president ready to help students succeed

Hannah Schulz says Blinn classes prepared her for transitioning to large university

January 22, 2024

For Hannah Schulz, serving as the new president of the Blinn College Alumni and Friends Association is an opportunity to help Blinn students achieve academic and career success.

A Brenham native, Schulz was a dual credit student at Brenham High School and took Blinn classes from 2006-09. She attended the University of Texas at Austin (UT) after graduating from Brenham High, but still took online and minimester courses at Blinn while attending UT.

“Blinn helped me acclimate to collegiate coursework,” said Schulz, who joined the Alumni and Friends Association in 2019 and served as its first vice president in 2023. “I am thankful for the credits that I was able to obtain with Blinn because they allowed me to come into a major university fresh out of high school with credits equivalent to a sophomore in college. This helped me to maintain the balance and challenges that came with the transition to a major university.”

Serving her community is nothing new for Schulz, a tax partner at Brenham’s Seidel Schroeder & Co. who specializes in estates, trusts, and gifts. She previously served as vice president for Washington County Habitat for Humanity and is treasurer for the Heritage Society of Washington County.

Joining Alumni and Friends and serving as board president provides Schulz another avenue to give back.

“Blinn College has been a centerpiece for our community for so many years, and I think that we should honor and be proud of that,” she said. “There are Blinn alumni all around who have gone on to do great things, and Blinn was an integral part in their journeys. I want to continue to develop relationships among Blinn alumni so that we can all tap into this amazing network that we are all a part of while supporting current students through scholarships and grants.”

Other Alumni and Friends officers are Luke Eckert, first vice president; Shannon Whigham, second vice president; Sami Rahman, secretary; Jake Loukanis, treasurer; and Nathan Van Noord, immediate past president.

Board members are (terms expiring in 2024) James Grimm, Douglas Schoppe, and Kristen Westbrook; (terms expiring in 2025) Lonnie Tegeler, Johnnie Schroeder, and Ray Daugbjerg; and (terms expiring in 2026) Lisa Conner, Brandan Ferrell, and Donald Loesch.

Alumni and Friends and the Buccaneer Alumni Lettermen associations are preparing for the Blinn College District Clay Shootout on Friday, April 5, at the Boswell Porter 4-H Shotgun Range near Caldwell. It is Blinn’s largest annual fundraiser, raising about $113,000 last year.

Proceeds go to Blinn and its students through academic scholarships, financial support for athletics, and other programs.