Discovering your career niche can be difficult, but for Hannah Richards Michaelsen, her role found her. After her family began receiving much-needed support from a nonprofit organization, Michaelsen joined the organiza- tion and began to provide that same service to others.
After graduating from BYU Marriott in 2000 with an MPA, having already earned her BA in political science, Michaelsen and her husband, Matthew (a BYU Marriott grad in information systems management), moved to the San Francisco Bay area to be closer to family. Michaelsen worked for two years as an administrative analyst at the Oakland Public Library before giving birth to a son and fulfilling her desire to become a stay-at-home parent.
“It had been my plan to retire or quit when we started our family,” she says, “but my goal was also to work in local government or nonprofit, and that was what I was able to do for two years.”
Two and a half years later, Michaelsen’s son was diagnosed with autism. “All of a sudden, you’re thrown into a system with brand-new lingo and things you’ve got to learn,” she remembers. Despite the novelty of the circumstances, Michaelsen says she was able to navigate through it all in part because of her education. “I felt like my MPA degree helped me to interact and advocate for my son with service providers and agencies that serve kids with special needs.”
The family began working with Care Parent Network, a resource center in the Bay area offering support, trainings, and other social services. Michaelsen found herself building a network among other parents of children with special needs and wanting to help make a difference herself. In June 2019, after raising her children full-time for sixteen years, Michaelsen was appointed the program director of Care Parent Network.
“It’s been a big adjustment to return to work full-time, but luckily I do have some flexibility,” she says. “I definitely feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
As program director, Michaelsen oversees a completely grant-funded nonprofit budget, supervises a staff made up of other parent-professionals, builds a network within the community, and raises funds for ongoing operations. She values working with and serving parents and families in situations similar to hers.
“What my agency does makes a difference for families, and I know that firsthand,” she says. “It’s enjoyable to pay forward the support that was offered to me and impact families and help them feel more competent and empowered.”
When not spending her free time with her family, Michaelsen enjoys attending a hula dance class. She feels that the class fulfills her desire for more creativity in her life. Michaelsen also stays involved in her children’s schools through the PTA and other volunteer opportunities.
Michaelsen says her education empowers her to make significant contributions outside of work. “I’m a firm believer that degrees open doors,” she says. “There are ways you can use your degree—whether it’s in church or serving in your school or other ways in your community—even if you’re not getting paid for it.”
