Hana Hyseni

School & Year: A&S'13

Major: Theater

Questions

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a young woman from the small and newly independent country Kosovo.  Being raised under oppression and constant reminders of what I, as an Albanian [woman], cannot do I have been eager to discover all the things I can do. When I was 16, I left home and moved to Boston to continue my education in the States. I have been fortunate to find a place within the BC community where I’m continuously enriched with support and wisdom from teachers and peers alike. My BC experience has flourished through my involvements in the OTE program, Theatre Department, Phaymus Dance Team, WRC, film production courses and more. These have pushed me to challenge myself, develop my creativity and responsibility to become a better, stronger leader in each aspect of my life. They have ultimately led me to the highlight of my BC career: directing the Theatre Department Workshop Production of Jack and Jill – the most challenging and rewarding project in my life so far.

2. What are you most passionate about?

Art in all its forms: dancing, drawing, writing, acting, directing, photographing. As human beings we are gifted with the ability to create and I love to explore this gift in any form I can. My involvement in Jack and Jill has drawn me even more to directing. Communicating with the audience through movement and speech fascinates me. For me, bringing a text to life and with it evoking an emotion in the listener is the most unique form of expression.

3. How do you define “feminism”?

Feminism is the courage to take oneself seriously and refuse to be labeled and/or categorized based on gender. It is the understanding that all human individuals are born equals so both women and men alike should have the right to be evaluated based on their work and effort rather than their anatomy.

4. Why do you identify yourself as a feminist?

I myself have fallen victim to biased social perceptions of gender. I may have shared the same exact idea as a male peer in class or at work, but somehow my words would fade into the air while his would make jaws drop. Women have gone unheard for too long both at home and in the workspace. I want to be remembered for being courageous, hardworking and innovative. I identify my rights to excel in any aspect of life and do not tolerate those being taken from me due to a natural factor that is out of my control.

5. Who or what inspires you?

People and what they go through. Human experiences present an endless source of emotion, learning and life that I like to carry through in my own forms of expression.  I try to transfer my energy into my work and creativity. Once you learn how to see every experience as enrichment, life becomes just really, purely, beautiful.