My name is Amelia Hanks, and I am currently a Work Planning Coordinator at Pinellas County Utilities. I have been with the County since 2019. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi in 2017, then secured a position as a reporter at a Florida-based weekly newspaper. Following that, I worked for the County commissioner’s office before transitioning into my current role.

I have always had a deep interest in books and learning. I spent hours in the library after school, and I have become an avid reader and supporter of my local library in my adult life. Academics and learning have always been a touchstone and a draw for me; I love deepening my knowledge and experiences. I would most likely focus on academic or public entities because of my background in community and government work.

My interest in journalism began at a young age; it met my desire to learn and gave me a direct line to the community around me, but I discerned I longed for work beyond the limits of being a reporter. What I loved about it was hearing and translating people’s stories, and connecting the written word with the pictures that told those stories, which naturally is translatable into many areas of library science.

My roles with local government have allowed me to gain a better understanding of the inner workings, to continue working with my community, and to appreciate the hard work that goes into civil service. It gave me deeper insight into how the world around me operates. I recognize that to reach a community, you have to understand how it operates. In the future, I plan to continue guiding my peers and fellow citizens in learning and growing together, particularly across differences and divides.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April 2023 and declared cancer-free in October of that year. While having a cancer diagnosis at any age, but particularly at the young age of 26, is life-altering, it also taught me so much about myself. One of those outcomes was my desire to explore the things I am which I am passionate. 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 needed, and I look forward to the next step as I align my passions with my career.