Following Her Own Path

Hannah Cardenas ’27 knows that there is more than one route to finding the right college or the right career, and she’s happy that the path she took led her to Elmhurst University.

After graduating from high school in 2019, Cardenas, who grew up in Evanston and now lives in Des Plaines, initially enrolled at another liberal arts college. But that experience wasn’t the right fit, so she stepped away from college for three years and entered the workforce. Eventually, she knew she wanted to return to school, but this time, she wanted to move forward on her own terms.

She began taking two or three classes at a time at Oakton Community College, where she earned her associate degree. Along the way, a general chemistry course sparked an interest that would eventually become a career goal.

She transferred to Elmhurst in fall 2025, and today she’s thriving in the University’s collaborative chemistry department, where small classes, engaged faculty and hands-on research have helped her discover a passion for organic chemistry and opened the doors to other opportunities, including a Swords Scholar research grant through the Elmhurst Honors Program and a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded summer research grant.

Finding the Right Fit

Cardenas first learned about the University while in community college. When she visited the campus, she was struck by the beautiful setting, low student-to-faculty ratio, and the cooperative spirit of the chemistry department.

After her visit, she applied for and was awarded a large honors scholarship, which sealed the deal. “I didn’t even bother applying to other schools because I felt so strongly about Elmhurst,” she says.

The decision proved to be the right one. As a transfer student, Cardenas was able to jump directly into upper-level chemistry courses, quickly becoming part of the department she now describes as “kind of like a family.”

“I’ve had a really amazing time so far,” she says. “Everyone in the department has been so welcoming.”

Cardenas has also found support beyond the classroom. She says faculty, administrators and staff members, including those at the Learning Center, have created a welcoming environment where she has never felt left out.

“I feel that the staff really makes the community, and that flows into the student community, creating a place where everyone is helpful and everyone is invited in,” she says.

Connecting with Organic Chemistry

When she arrived at Elmhurst, Cardenas still wasn’t sure what area of chemistry she wanted to pursue. That changed when she met Evan Vanable, assistant professor of chemistry and her organic chemistry professor.

She was drawn to the field because it felt intuitive to her. While the math involved in chemistry had initially been a challenge, organic chemistry offered a different kind of problem-solving—understanding mechanisms and predicting how molecules will react.

Her connection with Vanable has also opened the door to undergraduate research. Working with him, Cardenas has been synthesizing organic molecules, gaining valuable experience that she believes will help prepare her for graduate school.

Learning Through Collaboration

For Cardenas, some of her most meaningful learning experiences have happened in intimate, discussion-driven classes.

One favorite was Instrumentation, taught by Michelle Applebee and Colleen Munro-Leighton. With a small group of upper-level chemistry students, the course felt less like a traditional lecture and more like a conversation among fellow chemistry enthusiasts. “It’s like we’re in a club talking about chemistry,” Cardenas says.

Rather than relying solely on presentations, the professors encouraged students to ask questions and contribute to the discussion. The experience gave Cardenas the opportunity to learn alongside her peers while giving her the confidence to share her own ideas.

She has found the same sense of accessibility throughout the Chemistry department. Vanable’s open-door policy means she can stop by his office with questions about his class—or even another course. She has also developed relationships with professors she hasn’t had for classes, reinforcing her sense that the department is a community where faculty and students genuinely know one another.

That collaborative environment extends beyond the classroom. During her first term at Elmhurst, Cardenas joined faculty and students at an American Chemical Society undergraduate conference at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Seeing her peers present their research gave her the opportunity to make connections while also getting a glimpse of the opportunities ahead.

“A lot of my peers presented, so not only was I able to get to know people, but I also had a chance to learn about their research, which gave me an idea of what’s to come in my future,” she says.

Building Confidence in Community

As someone who describes herself as introverted, Cardenas says Elmhurst’s close-knit environment helped her learn to assert herself more.

“It’s given me the opportunity to be able to stand out and find my voice with faculty and the student body as well,” she says.

She encourages other students—especially transfer and nontraditional students—to take advantage of the opportunities to get involved. Although she initially worried that, as a transfer student, everyone else would have already made their friends, attending events helped her come out of her shell and build connections.

Her advice is simple: “Put yourself out there and take some chances.”

Cardenas has found community through the Honors Program and Chemistry Club, and she assists other students as a tutor through the Learning Center. She also enjoys reading fiction, playing chess, watching science fiction and comedy movies, and spending time at the Elmhurst Public Library.

Taking Research Beyond Campus

Cardenas’ research experience at Elmhurst positioned her to pursue opportunities beyond the University. Encouraged by chemistry faculty, she applied and was accepted to several Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs. She selected a chemistry REU at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she participated in a 10-week summer research internship.

She chose the Dallas program in part because of a faculty connection. The professor leading the project there, Connor Delaney, Ph.D., is a former colleague of her Elmhurst mentor, Vanable.

Through the NSF-funded program, Cardenas worked on collaborative research involving synthesizing aziridines, which are used as building blocks to create important medicines, including cancer treatments.

The experience gave her the opportunity to develop independent research skills and learn more about presenting scientific research. The program’s capstone involved preparing a presentation for the Summer Platform for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) symposium.

Cardenas says that the REU experience offered a taste of graduate school and solidified her intention to pursue postgraduate study. “For 10 weeks, I was immersed in a demanding research environment where I was constantly learning, troubleshooting and being challenged to improve,” she says. “Although it was not always easy, the experience reassured me that pursuing a Ph.D. in organic chemistry is something I genuinely want to do. More importantly, it showed me that even when research becomes difficult and expectations are high, my passion for organic chemistry remains just as strong.”

Looking Toward the Future

For Cardenas, Elmhurst has provided more than a path to a chemistry degree. It has given her a place where her unique journey is valued and where she can continue exploring her interests at her own pace.

“I’ve never felt alienated for being an older student,” she says. “I’ve learned that everybody goes at their own pace, and life happens differently for everyone.”

After graduating from Elmhurst, Cardenas plans to pursue further studies in organic chemistry, ideally in Illinois so she can remain close to her family. With her faculty mentorship, undergraduate research and experiences beyond campus, she feels ready to take the next step.

Go Far. Do Well. Visit elmhurst.edu/Admission to take the first step toward your future.