Hannah Joy Sachs

MSc Migration Studies – University of Oxford
BA High Honors in Sociology – Davidson College

Hannah joined the Dragons community in 2019. She has instructed open enrollment courses in Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand; short-term partnership programs in China and the USA; and this fall, is excited to be part of the inaugural Tufts Thailand Civic Semester team. In addition to her work with Dragons, Hannah currently serves as US National Director and International Co-Director of the Democracy Fellowship for Humanity in Action, a small educational and human rights non-profit. Over the years, she has facilitated experiential education programs for students and young professionals; program themes and focuses have ranged from tracing migration patterns in the Mekong Region to mapping inequities in Washington DC; from learning about Jewish communities in Eastern Europe to understanding peace-building and conflict resolution in Seoul.

Adopted from China and raised in Westchester County (right outside New York City), Hannah has grappled with her identity, sense of belonging, and understanding of “home” for as long as she can remember—themes that she incorporates into her program leading as well as her personal travels. Guided by “tikkun olam” — repairing the world — a frequent refrain in her Jewish upbringing, Hannah believes in the potential of achieving social justice and collective healing through cultural exchange, service, and acts of empathy.

Outside her professional and academic pursuits, Hannah is an equestrian; nothing instantly improves her mood as much as going to the barn! When based in New York, she also volunteers at a therapeutic horseback riding program and truly believes that horses an be healers. Hannah also stays busy as a connected member of adoptee and Jews of Color communities. And in moments of downtime, she loves reading, writing, spending time with loved ones, and rooting for the New York Yankees.