Student uses research and event coordination experience to support North Carolina and the mental health field

by current UNC MPA student Hallie Springer

Hi! I am Hallie Springer, an almost-second year in the UNC MPA program. I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, and I completed my undergraduate degree here at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2022. In undergrad, I studied economics and public policy. After graduating, I spent one year in DC working for a teacher’s union. Although I loved the work, the city wasn’t for me, and I am very glad to be back in my home state of NC! That experience, along with my public policy work in undergrad, helped me realize I wanted to get my MPA. I found that while I enjoyed working for a national organization, I wanted to be closer to the people who I was working for. The MPA degree’s focus on local organizations (local government, community nonprofits, etc) would give me the education and experience I needed. A key part of this experience that I sought is the Professional Work Experience (PWE). This summer, I have been working with ncIMPACT for my PWE. ncIMPACT is an entrepreneurial initiative with the UNC School of Government. This organization, which focuses on collective action and bridging policy with practice across the state of North Carolina, could not have been a more perfect fit for my PWE. The first project I was able to work on was the Statewide Summit for Suicide Prevention. This event was the culmination of 18 months of hard work by the ncIMPACT team as well as 15 community-led teams all working in the mental health and suicide prevention space. Personally, I had no background in the mental health field, but I had experience in research and event coordination. 

From this experience, I was able to meet people all over the state working on suicide prevention and awareness. I heard presentations from DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley, CDC Advisor Charlene Wong, and other state leaders. Additionally, I was able to present on the work that the ncIMPACT team had done prior in the year, with the 2024 POV Challenge. One of the best experiences, though, was the “We See You” art installation, created by my fellow student researchers and I. The concept for the art project was to take polaroids of summit attendees and display them all on a board that says “We See You.” This piece was meant to show people at the event who were struggling with their mental health that they were not alone and that people and resources were available to them. Attendees were able to take pictures with the art piece, find their pictures in it, and walk away knowing that the over 400 people at this summit were as dedicated to suicide prevention and supporting mental health as they were. It was a visualization of the sense of community found at this event. I have, and will continue doing interesting and impactful things with ncIMPACT, but I am especially grateful this organization encourages creativity throughout their work.