Donna Hart: Empowerment Through Education

Donna Hart was 33 when she decided to return to school. After working as a producer in broadcasting for 10 years, she switched her career path to healthcare. She had an associate’s degree in Broadcast Communications from Middlesex Community College when she enrolled in UConn’s Bachelor of General Studies degree program in fall 2004 to study counseling and human development family services.

“I once heard fantastic advice,” Hart said. “‘People can take away a lot of things from you, but they can’t take away your education. By being educated, you are empowered.’ These words gave me the encouragement to go back to school. With all of my credits transferring over from my Associates Degree, I knew I had nothing to lose. I was always too busy with my career to pursue my undergraduate degree, until I read about the BGS program and classes offered on nights and weekends.”

Working with the elderly as a Marketing Director in an assisted living community, Hart helped adult children make tough decisions for an elderly parent on a daily basis.  “I discovered that I had a true passion for the elderly and their families,” she said. “Eventually I would like to get a graduate degree in counseling and a (BGS) focus in Human Services is the right fit.”  

To help complete her Human Services course requirements, she decided to utilize her broadcasting background and make a video as an independent study project. Hart was volunteering for Ahava Kids, a non profit human rights organization formed to rescue young victims of child trafficking, enslavement, and exploitation in the U.S. and throughout the world. When the Ahava Kids Director, who had written a book about child trafficking, asked her to develop a slide show for his book launch party, she decided to use her video editing experience to create a video instead. It was a formidable project that took between two and three months.

“It took hours and hours of patience and time,” she said. “I had to look through thousands of photos of abused, trafficked children to select family appropriate ones for the video. Once I selected the photos, I had to import them into PowerPoint and time them to music, utilizing effects.”

Viewing thousands of photos of trafficked children was emotionally draining for Hart, who also had to “trick” the PowerPoint software to get the results she wanted. Yet the rewards outweighed the difficult moments.

“When the video made it’s ‘debut’ in front of approximately a thousand people, the audience was completely silent,” said Hart. “Immediately following the video, a couple of people ran out and bought the book before the program even ended. Every day, people all over the world view the video and the awareness of child trafficking is increasing. I never would have thought that my creativity would make such an incredible and important impact.”

Hart donated the video to Ahava Kids, which uses it at fundraising events, and posted it on youtube, where it is being viewed all around the world. To view Hart’s poignant video, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ2ruBrMtvA.

When she receives her BGS degree in May 2009, Hart will continue her education. “I plan to attend grad school in the MFT program (Marriage & Family Therapy Program), she said. “Without the BGS program, I would never imagine being accepted into grad school as a MFT student. After I graduate from the BGS I program, I will have a significant chance of being accepted.”