Pivot with Purpose: How Culture, Curiosity & Confidence Shaped Hannah Powell’s Career
There’s a quiet fire in Hannah Powell that burns steadily, one fueled by faith, grit, and a deep belief that storytelling can change lives. Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised between Las Vegas and Prince George’s County, Maryland, Hannah grew up immersed in contrast: cultural, geographic, and emotional.
That fusion shaped the woman she is today: a vibrant, purpose-driven creative now working at the intersection of media, culture, and communication as the Executive Assistant to the VP of Social Media at Disney’s National Geographic.
But the journey here wasn’t obvious. It wasn’t linear. In fact, it almost didn’t happen at all.
A Detour That Became Destiny
When Hannah began her college career at Morgan State University, she was an electrical engineering major drawn by the promise of a stable path and the push to pursue something practical. But halfway through her program, the pandemic hit, and with it came stillness, solitude, and space for reflection.
“I could do the work,” she remembers, “but I started asking myself, why am I here? I wasn’t happy.”
That season of quiet introspection planted the seeds for something new. Hannah, an avid music lover, had been sharing thoughts on Instagram. A fellow Morganite, interning at Sony Music, started sending her unreleased tracks and asking for feedback. Her responses, layered, insightful, and emotionally intelligent, sparked a lightbulb moment.
Encouraged to explore strategic communications, she made the switch and never looked back.
“Morgan taught me how strong I really am,” Hannah says. “The pride, the chaos, the community, it’s like nowhere else.”
It gave her the skills to thrive and the clarity to stay grounded in who she is.
The Hustle Begins
Once she pivoted, Hannah hit the ground running. She started doing social media for Morgan’s men’s basketball team, interned at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and joined the Campus Activities Board helping produce concerts and coordinate artist rosters.
A Def Jam karaoke night on campus became a major pivot point. She stayed afterward, introduced herself to the visiting reps, and began participating in artist calls.
“I put it on my resume as A&R experience because… that’s what it was.”
Her growing resume helped her secure a marketing internship at Universal Music Group. Around the same time, she was invited to join the inaugural HBCU IN NY cohort, part of the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP).
“That was such a blessing,” she says. “It was life-changing.”
When Dreams Get Derailed
Despite her success, Hannah didn’t receive a full-time offer after her internship. Layoffs hit the industry. Her manager was let go. And the logistics of relocating to New York became a financial hurdle.
“It was tough. I didn’t expect how expensive it would be just to live in the city and wait for something to open up,” she admits. “Not getting that job was discouraging. But it was also redirection.”
That redirection led her to National Geographic, where she landed a full-time role supporting the VP of Social Media. What looked like an admin role quickly turned into something much bigger.
“I’m not code-switching,” she says. “I’m myself. And people respond to that energy. It makes them trust you.”
Hannah’s boss, a fellow HBCU grad and seasoned executive, has become a mentor, bringing her into rooms and onto stages that would otherwise be out of reach. Speaking on a panel at Spelman was one such moment.
“She told me, ‘You should do it.’ That was the first panel I ever spoke on,” Hannah says. “It meant so much to be able to pour into students the way others had poured into me.”
Culture, Curiosity & Confidence
Raised in multicultural environments, Hannah brings an openness and adaptability to everything she does.
“I don’t just want to stay on the resort, I want to go where the locals go. I want to learn, connect, and immerse myself.”
That curiosity now fuels her work at National Geographic, where storytelling, cultural nuance, and global perspectives are front and center.
“I want to be someone people come to for an authentic voice because of my diverse background and how I see the world.”
Now, nearly one year into her career at National Geographic, she’s still dreaming, still learning, and still pushing forward.
“Fall in love with the journey. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. But when you dream, put in the work, and stay true to yourself, anything is possible.”
