JTC 25: A Tale of Two Passions: Leadership and Learning

Living her middle school years in Turkey, Hannah Watts not only learned to speak the language, but also learned the value and importance of education.

Fast forward to high school in Columbia on a field trip to the Mississippi Capitol, she learned something else – she liked policy. She has been able to combine these two interests at the University of Mississippi by majoring in public policy leadership and secondary English education.

“We went (to the Capitol) with the American Cancer Society, and I was like, ‘Wow!’” she said. “It's really cool to see the things that policy can do and the things that (legislators) have the ability to change.”

She was then nominated for a summer program for rising high school seniors at the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. Enter, Ole Miss.

“Ole Miss was not on my radar before that, and being in that program and getting a small taste of what the community was like here definitely changed a lot for me,” Watts said.

It led her to enrolling at Ole Miss as part of the Lott Leadership Institute and the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program.

“They are why I'm here,” she said. “My two passions are policy and education, and getting to marry those perfectly — Ole Miss was the only option for that.”

Melissa Bass, associate professor and undergraduate coordinator of the Department of Public Policy Leadership, taught Watts every year of her college career and served as her thesis adviser. She said that the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College student stood out for not only her intelligence and curiosity, but also her passion and joy.

“Hannah has taken on more than perhaps any student I have had: earning a dual degree in PPL and education is a huge amount of work, being part of METP and the Honors College raises the expectations, and working in ASB (Associated Student Body) — up through running for and becoming president — adds a level of commitment and responsibility that few students even try to manage,” Bass said.

“And while I've seen her tired, I've never seen her not excited; I've never seen her without a smile.”

Watts channeled her excitement and leadership skills as ASB president. Thriving on the ability to collaborate with community, she has enjoyed learning the process of getting things accomplished campuswide.

“I was really excited when we were able to work with the university library to get a New York Times subscription for all students.”

Also, during her time with the ASB, the organization was able to get services expanded at the FedEx Student-Athlete Academic Support Center, which supports Ole Miss student-athletes to also include services for student managers and trainers.

She said that one of her biggest learning moments came in the form of the university’s excused absence policy, or the lack of one.

Under Watts’ leadership, the ASB worked with the Faculty Senate and Graduate Student Council on this initiative.

“We jointly requested the provost office to create a committee of faculty and students to reevaluate the (excused absence) policy," she said. "I think it's a compromise (the joint committee) that brings all parties to the table as it should.”

While she provides for the students at Ole Miss, Watts also aims to provide for students of her own.

As part of the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program, the Columns Society member had an opportunity to travel to Scotland, England and Ireland. From that experience, as well as going to school in Turkey, she expanded her worldview.

“It put in perspective for me the power that is in education and coming back to the U.S., where we are all provided public education, that there are still gaps that we can continue to meet to better that for everybody,” she said.

Bass witnessed Watts in her decision-making process for a path after graduation.

"Hannah could teach in any public school district in the state,” Bass said. “She wasn't thinking about which job would pay most, or be the most comfortable, or be easier.

“She was thinking about where she would have the most support to make the greatest difference for students.”

After graduation, she will continue to make an impact on children in the Delta as a teacher at Madison Palmer High School in Marks. She fell in love with the region and its culture after spending a summer teaching reading to third graders with the Delta Health Alliance.

"That says something very special and unique about the kind of person that she is and where she wants to give back,” said Natasha Jeter, assistant vice chancellor for wellness and student success and Columns Society adviser. “She wants to give back in areas where there is the most need, where there is a most opportunity for growth and impact.”

She will also serve as a fellow with the Reclaimed Project. A ministry-based organization with roots in Marks and Lesotho, Africa, it provides support for teachers and students in the Quitman County School District ranging from housing assistance for teachers to continuing education to afterschool activities.

“I'm a very mission-minded educator, and being a part of a ministry is something that I'm very excited about and feel called to do,” Watts said.

 As she prepares to embark on her teaching career, Watts reflects on how her university experience has shaped her outlook and aspirations.

“Ole Miss has truly given me that education of a lifetime,” she said. “That's something that I want to continue — taking what I've learned here into the real world, into my classroom in the Delta.”

Top: Hannah Watts combines her passion for public policy and education to make a meaningful impact, choosing to teach in the Mississippi Delta after graduation to give back. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

See more photos from Hannah Watts' Journey to Commencement