Darlington Connects: Hanna-Jon Lewis ('16) & Braxton Ballard (‘16)

Darlington alumni Hanna-Jon Lewis (’16) and Braxton Ballard (‘16) are continuing their commitment to leadership and service as members of the University of Georgia’s Young Alumni Leadership Council. Hanna-Jon, a past president of Darlington’s Young Alumni Council, now serves as president of the UGA council, where she recently welcomed Braxton as one of its newest members. Their opportunity to serve together marks a meaningful new chapter in a friendship that began at Darlington and continued at UGA. We caught up with Hanna-Jon to hear her thoughts on her new role, her growth as a leader, and what it means to serve alongside a fellow Darlington alumnus.

What does it mean to you to serve as president of the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council?

Serving as President of the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council means the absolute world to me! As a student at UGA, I was incredibly involved. I served as the VP of Alumni Engagement for the UGA Student Alumni Council, was on the executive board for my sorority (Kappa Kappa Gamma) twice, and served on the boards of UGA Heroes and the UGA American Marketing Association. I also got both my bachelor’s degree and my master’s from UGA, making me a proud “Double Dawg.” My brother, who’s also a Darlington grad, graduated from UGA last year and my family has just become so deeply connected to the university over the past ten years.

It’s such an honor and privilege to serve in this role because UGA gave so much to me. I truly feel a responsibility to pour back into the institutions and organizations that helped me get to where I am today, like UGA and Darlington.

It’s also not my first time leading a young alumni group! The first time I did this was actually as the second-ever President of Darlington’s Young Alumni Council, which I helped set up alongside Austin Spooner (’12). I was able to pull from my experience with volunteer groups at UGA to help build out what Darlington’s young alumni engagement could look like and set a strategic plan for the future. Being able to bring those experiences back and forth has been a really rewarding experience.

How have you grown as a leader since your time as a student at Darlington?

When I was at Darlington, I was very involved. I played two varsity sports, served as a Tiger Expert and Advancement Ambassador, participated in High School Leadership Rome, and was named the Head Day Prefect of Thornwood House during my senior year. Looking back on those experiences, I was a lot younger and unsure of what I wanted. I think I viewed leadership as a means to an end. It was something that I thought could help me get into college or allow me to spend more time with my friends, but I wasn't really thinking about stewardship or the concept of giving back yet. I mostly did things because I enjoyed them and I knew they would help me as I looked toward college. 

As an adult and alumni, I’ve gotten so much more confident. I’ve developed a much better ability to delegate, which took me a really long time to learn, but all these volunteer opportunities have let me flex that muscle. I also think being around so many different people with diverse perspectives has helped me build genuine empathy. Engaging with people outside my day-to-day routine has helped me understand people better, which has been a huge benefit as I build out my leadership capabilities.

Did you have experiences at Darlington that gave you the confidence to step into leadership roles?

Being named the Head Day Prefect of Thornwood House my senior year was a huge step for me. It showed me that I could work toward a role with a big title and broad responsibilities and actually achieve it.

When you get a title like that for your first big leadership role, you don't always realize how much responsibility comes with it. That role taught me that I’d been entrusted to lead a group, and I couldn't just lead by doing whatever I wanted. I had to listen to what the rest of the group wanted too. Being Head Day Prefect taught me how to be inclusive, how to hear people out, and how to value what everyone brings to the table. That was easily my most formative leadership experience at Darlington and one that I will carry with me throughout my career. 

What was it like welcoming fellow Darlington alumnus Braxton Ballard to the council as a new member?

It was a total full-circle moment! Braxton and I were friends in high school, and then when we got to college, we went in different directions when it came to our majors, classes, and involvement. Ironically enough, Braxton was actually the person who introduced me to the Student Alumni Council at UGA, which was the group that really helped me understand the importance of giving back to the university. He was rolling off the council, saw something in me that I hadn't seen in myself, and nominated me for a seat. That got me involved, built my passion for giving back to UGA, and ultimately led to me serving as VP of Alumni Engagement for that organization.

After college, we both went our separate ways and hadn't talked in a few years. But when it came time to nominate new members for the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council last year, Braxton was the very first person I thought of. I recommended him, he went through the interview process, and joined the council last month! Reconnecting and getting to elevate each other from high school, to college, and now as alumni leaders has been incredible. I’m so excited to work with him on the council this year!

What was the most memorable or inspiring part of the Advancing the Arch Leadership Conference?

The most inspiring part of the Advancing the Arch Leadership Conference was hearing from all the different volunteer groups across UGA, from individual school and college boards, to our regional city chapters in places like New York, Chicago, and even Dalton, GA, to affinity councils like Women of UGA, the Black Alumni Leadership Council, and the Latino Alumni Council. Sitting in a room with everyone, hearing different perspectives, and figuring out what we could borrow and reapply across our own groups was so energizing.

The most memorable part for me was winning two awards. The Terry Young Alumni Board, where I serve as Vice Chair, received the Most Innovative Program Award for our Young Alumni Summit in Atlanta, and the Young Alumni Leadership Council was named Volunteer Group of the Year. I was proud to represent both volunteer groups on stage, especially because they mean so much to me.

Winning Volunteer Group of the Year with the Young Alumni Leadership Council was especially rewarding. Over the last 18 months, our team worked tirelessly to establish the Finish the Drill Scholarship Fund, which specifically supports 3rd and 4th-year students facing financial hardships that may impact their ability to graduate. In our first 18 months alone, we raised over $125,000 to help these students stay enrolled in school and finish their degrees. Representing all of the hard work and late nights that went into that was something that I'll never forget.

What is the next goal or leadership challenge you hope to take on?

Right now, I’m focused on serving as President of the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council, which represents the entire population of all 130,000+ young alumni across the university!

Next year, however, I’ll be stepping into the Chair role for the Terry College of Business Young Alumni Board. That role will be an incredible new challenge for me because the Young Alumni Leadership Council has 25 members, but the Terry Young Alumni Board has 60 members. Learning how to lead a team that's more than double the size is definitely going to push me to grow and adapt my leadership style. Terry is where I got my undergraduate degree and it has opened so many doors for me, so while it represents a more specific alumni group, directly managing that many people is a challenge I'm really excited to take on.