Sarah Dixon-Hackey

Mental health advocate | Educator | Digital storyteller

Sarah Dixon-Hackey is rewriting the narrative around mental health for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), refugee and immigrant communities in North Dakota. An adoptee and passionate educator, Sarah brings personal experience, cultural insight and strategic leadership to her advocacy. From co-authoring grants that launched digital storytelling initiatives for college students and refugee communities, to creating a podcast that demystifies the state’s behavioral health system, she is expanding education, shifting public perceptions and driving lasting system change.

Sarah is known for her intentional and consistent leadership, always advocating for those on the margins and ensuring underrepresented voices are included. Her work is expected to create a ripple effect, inspiring collective energy and advancing critical conversations and solutions. Her vision is to empower North Dakotans—especially those historically excluded from the system—to understand how mental health care works, how it can improve and how they can advocate for themselves and their communities. 

With the Bush Fellowship, Sarah will seek formal certification in suicide prevention skills, deepen her research into cultural disparities in care, engage a mentor with expertise in digital media and receive supplemental training in the areas of broadcasting and content marketing. 

How have you created change?

In 2022, I co-authored a grant to guide 35 college students—many from BIPOC communities—through a digital storytelling project focused on pandemic mental health. I later launched a podcast for refugees and asylum seekers to share their resettlement stories and facilitated mental health training in five refugee communities. My newest podcast offers a platform for North Dakota’s mental health professionals and advocates to illuminate what’s working and what’s not in our state’s behavioral health system.

What will investing in yourself as a leader make possible?

With mentorship in digital media and podcast strategy, I’ll grow my podcast into a statewide platform for mental health advocacy. I want to bridge communities and systems through storytelling, helping everyday people become powerful advocates for their mental health and the well-being of others.