Hanna O’Connell

Hanna O’Connell is the Executive Director of Casa de Amistad in Athens, Georgia. Her work is guided by a deep interest in how people learn across language and cultural differences, and how communities grow when people meet difference with curiosity.

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Hanna draws on more than a decade of international experience in language education and community engagement. She has taught English in Colombia and the United States, founded an arts education initiative for children in a community affected by floods in Peru, and served as a volunteer coordinator with AmeriCorps during flood relief efforts in Washington State.

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She holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and has completed international TEFL certification and training in psychological first aid for refugees and crisis-affected populations. She remains curious about evolving research and approaches in language education and applies that learning to her work. Hanna focuses on building programs at Casa de Amistad that help people learn from one another—whether as learners, volunteers, or neighbors—and believes that small, everyday interactions are what ultimately make communities welcoming and connected.

 

Hanna lives in Athens with her husband, a student at Casa de Amistad, her 12-year-old daughter, a volunteer with the organization, and their dog, Juniper.