Hannah Beauchamp-Pope
University of Wisconsin Green BayHannah Beauchamp-Pope, a second year student at UW Green Bay, has a deep commitment to social change in our country. Through her own personal life experiences, she has developed a passion for advocating for empathy in mental health, prison systems and other human service entities. She has a strong belief that our country needs to focus on love of humanity to heal our divisions and achieve long term social change in American institutions. Ms. Beauchamp-Pope is active both on campus and in the community. She serves as the Vice President of the Black Student Union, and was instrumental in planning Black History Month activities and our community Kwanzaa Celebration. Hannah also works with a local homeless shelter and as a leader in creating a nonprofit organization to address social injustices in our country.
Personal Statement
As I grew up as a black woman in Green Bay, I struggled with depression and suicide for most of my adolescent years. Deeper insight led me to the conclusion that our Eurocentric school systems and other American institutions are built in a way to lead to the learned helplessness and mental institutionalization I had faced that led to my struggles and self-loathing. As I shared my experience, I connected with others that helped me understand that although my circumstance was very unique, it was far too common. After the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, empowerment of being my authentic self filled me with an energy unlike no other. My dedication to social justice resides in the fact that crimes against humanity are being placed upon the American people every day, no matter the race, gender, class, sexual orientation, or other marginalizing factors that divide us, we all experience at some point in our life the same injustices that break us down in American society. I am currently starting a non-profit organization called We the Change-Makers, where our team will work to mobilize and provide solutions to these crimes against humanity in America.