Hannah Stewart
Loyola Marymount University
Hannah Stewart is a junior English major at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She is actively involved on campus including her leadership role with Associated Students of Loyola Marymount University. As the Director of Student Wellness and Safety, Hannah is committed to increasing access to health and wellness resources. In February 2021, she will once again serve as the Master of Ceremonies for Prevention Policy Day in Washington State, where she will advocate for effective drug legislation while encouraging youth to engage with their state legislators. Her interest in youth substance abuse prevention drives her Newman Civic project where she plans to provide new educational resources for LMU students to learn more about alcohol and drug usage.
Personal Statement
A social issue that I care deeply about is youth substance use prevention. Using the framework of prevention and my community coalition to educate on this issue and its risk factors has been my primary goal since I started the 8th grade. I joined my city’s Youth and Family Services Communities That Care Coalition, which aimed to utilize data-driven social norms campaigns as well as parental education to lower the rate of youth alcohol and drug use in my community. When I started high school, I noticed a lack of student involvement within the coalition and started a club at my school, SAFE Club. The founding of this club gained attention from the Lieutenant Governor’s office, as well as the Washington State Attorney General and Secretary of Health, who subsequently asked me to testify in the state Senate in favor of legislation that would raise the smoking age to 21. Now, at Loyola Marymount University, I have taken on a role as Director of Health & Wellness for ASLMU, working in the President’s Cabinet. I have facilitated virtual Wellness Wednesdays, improved the LMU Cares website, planned FitWell events, and met with faculty regarding education around Title IX changes.
