Hannah Williams

I always knew I wanted to work somewhere where I knew I was making a real, positive impact. I studied politics and public policy in college, and interned at a variety of organizations that taught me about everything from marketing and development, to elections and voting reform, to women’s rights and education policy. What I took from these experiences was a passion for communication – for taking complex, sometimes polarizing issues, and finding methods to convey them in simple, engaging ways for a variety of audiences. Upon graduating, I had two goals: work somewhere where I felt aligned with the mission and work, and put my passion for communications and writing to good use.

I currently serve as the senior associate of communications and storytelling at Active Minds, the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. At Active Minds, I’m working to change the conversation around mental health in what some may see as a non-traditional path: through marketing and communications. In my role, I work every day to amplify the stories of those living with mental illness, to share resources and tools with communities that might otherwise not have access to them, and to broadcast opportunities for work in health equity, such as our Emerging Scholars and Nash Family Scholarship programs. While I don’t have a degree in public health, or experience working in a clinical setting, I know the work I’m doing is helping to create a healthier mental health culture nationwide.

Still being young in my career, there are a lot of unknowns about what my future will look like – all I can hope for is that wherever I’m working, I’m continually learning, using my voice, and, as cliche as it sounds, making the world a better place. Everyone has different drivers in their career, and none are inherently wrong – some seek to work for the most established organizations, others value salary and benefits, others place organizational values above all else. In the future, my goal is to have my personal interests and beliefs continue to be aligned with my daily work – the rest is just a bonus.