When Hannah Drewieck graduated from Union in 2022, she had two majors but no clear idea where she wanted to work. “I knew ultimately I wanted to find meaning in my work,” she said. “I wanted to go in every day and love what I was doing. I came to the realization that there is no more meaningful work than bringing people to Jesus.”
Now Drewieck is a social media specialist for Hope Channel International, the official media ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She is responsible for digitally marketing programs that aim to introduce people around the world to eternal hope in Christ. “We produce content that reaches people who are feeling broken or lost and need to find hope,” said Drewieck.
One of Drewieck’s favorite projects is “Hope at Night,” a late-night talk show with a live studio audience. “We bring in guests and they sit down and share their testimonies or stories about the hardest-hitting topics of today,” she said. “The audience in the studio is largely non-Christian, and so we are able to reach people who otherwise may not hear about Jesus and how He can transform lives. I was in our studio as they were filming for quite a few episodes.”
While at Union, Drewieck double-majored with a B.S. in business administration and an emphasis in marketing and a B.A. in communication with an emphasis in public relations. “I loved my time here, and it greatly influenced the professional that I am today and the work that I can offer not only to Hope Channel but to the church.”
During her time at Union College, Drewieck focused on developing her writing skills. She worked as a peer consultant in the Writing Studio and as the assistant editor for The Clocktower, Union’s student newspaper. She said, “The majority of my work at Hope Channel is writing-focused, and I’ve really relied on the writing skills that I grew at Union. Some classes that stand out to me are the editing, magazine writing, and reporting classes with Lori Peckham. She taught me how to approach subject matter from a news perspective because news writing is so different from narrative writing. Now I use those skills when I write press releases for Hope Channel.”
Drewieck had the opportunity to return to Union this January for a showing of Hope Channel’s new series on mental health. This YouTube series covers topics such as grief and loss, abuse, eating disorders, divorce and social media addiction. Drewieck said, “For the social media episode, we wanted to partner with some of our Adventist universities. I immediately said, ‘We have to take this to Union.’ I will always look for an excuse to return to this school.”
“At a school like Union and a workplace like Hope Channel, you are surrounded by people who are seeking to grow closer to God,” said Drewieck. “Even if you are not at a spiritual high or you are still trying to figure out your relationship with God, being in those spaces is powerful, and I don’t think you can be there and not experience spiritual growth.”
In her free time, Drewieck enjoys exploring the Washington, D.C., area, making new friends, and connecting with old ones. When asked if she had anything she wanted to share with current Union students, her face lit up. “In the last few years, the number of Union graduates in the D.C. area has grown,” she said excitedly. “There’s a handful of us now working for the General Conference, and we’d love to see more because Union is a great school, and we’re all very proud of it.”
by Annika Cambigue, senior communication and English major