Combining her passion for writing and agriculture, Collegian Hannah Austin (Hall | Harington 2015-2017) has found her calling as the Agricultural Contracting Services and Marketing Coordinator for maize and grass specialists, John Austin Ltd. Based south of Te Awamutu in the Waikato, John Austin Ltd is a business close to her heart, as it’s owned by her family. It’s the only test site for John Deere and Kemper Equipment in the Southern Hemisphere and is one of the largest-scale contractors in New Zealand.

Although she grew up on a farm surrounded by tractors and other large-scale machinery, Hannah was determined to pursue a career in makeup and beauty, distancing herself from farming. However, a brief stint in the makeup industry eventually led her to Auckland University of Technology, where she pursued a Bachelor of Communications. Much to her surprise, all of her university assignments revolved around farming—a sector deeply ingrained in her upbringing and culture.

“My tutors pointed out that almost all of my assignments were based around farming and agriculture. Once I realised how much of my background centered around this, I stopped fighting it and have been flying ever since,” says Hannah.

After two years of living in the big city, it became clear that Hannah was drawn to the agri-sector and that she was a ‘country girl at heart’. She began working as a Marketing Coordinator for John Deere through a New Zealand Dealership fresh out of university, where she combined her extensive farming knowledge with her communication and marketing skills. During her time at the dealership, Hannah was scouted by Grassmen, a global agriculture brand in Ireland, after they came across her incredible photography and videography online. Grassmen offered her a role of a lifetime to live in Ireland for 10 months, where she was employed to share her photography and videography skills. After this contract ended, Hannah had the experience and confidence to take John Austin Ltd to the next level.

Since joining the ‘team’ last year, Hannah has expanded her role to include Health and Safety, and she has been in charge of employing more than 30 harvest staff during peak season, in addition to the 40 full-time employees.

“I love the variety of my job. Some days I’m inducting a new staff member, or on the phone selling maize, out in the middle of nowhere driving a truck, or creating photo and video content for marketing collateral,” says Hannah.

Hannah's schooling journey has been unique, as she was homeschooled until she began at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Year 11. Alongside her atypical upbringing, Hannah faced many personal struggles during her high school years. She lost two close friends to suicide, which naturally brought her own mental health to a crisis point. Although she loved being in the classroom, Hannah had to work through her academics while managing anorexia, anxiety, and depression.

Hannah reflects, “Looking back, it’s hard to believe how much I have achieved and done in light of what I overcame during school. I went from dancing ballet several times a week and competitively swimming to being banned from all physical exercise due to my fragile and rapidly declining mental and physical condition. I didn’t think I’d be able to pass any of my school exams, and definitely couldn’t see life outside of school. I really had no idea who I was, or who I wanted to be.”

Despite these challenges, she reflects on the positive influence of her biology teacher, Mr. Roger Bell, who prepared her a ‘Going to University Kit’ that included a note saying, “I always believed in you.” She believes he recognized her talents long before she did.

Another pivotal moment at St Paul’s was going on the Flame Cambodia trip after her final year of school. She remembers how Mrs. Heidi and Mr. Colin Lewis encouraged her to join her peers on the trip. “If they had not encouraged me with my storytelling and inspired me to go overseas, I don't think I ever would have,” says Hannah.

Inspired by her first trip to Cambodia, Hannah returned in 2019 on her own accord to volunteer for the charity, creating content for them. “Visiting Flame Cambodia really gave me a sense of purpose in my life. I knew there was something small I could give that would really bless them. Going to Cambodia allowed me to find my passion, which has slingshotted into a lifelong career that I love.”

Outside of her work, Hannah enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, exploring nature, and creating stories or art through photography and videography. It’s no wonder she’s found the perfect career path.