Statement of Purpose

My name is Amelia Hanks, and I am currently a Work Planning Coordinator at Pinellas County Utilities. I have been with the County for three years now. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi in 2017 and worked for over a year as a reporter at the East County/Sarasota Observer.

I have always had a deep interest in books and learning. I used to spend hours in the library after school in middle school and high school, and I have become an avid reader and supporter of my local library in my adult life. Academics and school have always been a touchstone and a safe place for me; I love learning new things and having experiences I wouldn’t typically have with brilliant professors and peers.

I had an interest in journalism from a young age, which satiated my desire to learn and have a direct line to the community around me, but it ultimately was not the right fit for me. I loved listening to and translating people’s stories, and connecting with them through photography and the written word, which translates seamlessly into library science. In college, I worked as a copy editor for the University of Mississippi’s newspaper, the Daily Mississippian, and wrote articles for the newspaper.

When I joined local government work to continue working with my community and to better understand the ins and outs, it gave me deeper insight into how the world around me operates. I understand that to reach a community, you have to understand how it operates, and I hope that, upon graduating from this program, I will continue to guide my peers and fellow residents towards learning and growing together.

One of the reasons I am currently looking for a change of pace in my current career is due to my recent cancer diagnosis. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April 2023 and declared cancer-free in October 2023. While having a cancer diagnosis at the age of 26 is life-altering, it also taught me so much about myself. I want to pursue my interests to the fullest of my abilities by returning to school. Allowing myself the grace to follow an academic program with other people who love books and their community as much as I do is exactly what I need as I step forward with this new chapter in my life. 

I would like to earn my master’s in library sciences from the University of South Florida because I love libraries and the librarians who work there. I would most likely focus on academic or public libraries because of my background in community and government work. If given this opportunity, I would help residents and members of the public connect through books and fellowship to the best of my abilities.