Introducing Our New Intern, James Hill

James brings PR expertise and a musician's heart

One of the challenges of having a nonprofit startup is that there is more work behind the scenes than meets the eye. Last year we formed a committee to make posts on social media, but after our intern’s term ended, we soon found that this was not any of our Board members’ “sweet spot.” What if we could find someone to help us who actually knew what they were doing? :)

After announcing at a few places that we were seeking an intern, I was delighted to hear from someone who not only has interest and skills in this area, but hopes to build a career in nonprofit PR (Public Relations). James Hill is a Belmont student, an Eagle Scout, and a violinist who intuitively “gets” the vision for CATHARSIS and is already adding value. He’ll be lending us his assistance in multiple areas through the end of the year, including authoring some of our future Substack posts.

Please read on to get to know James—we are deeply grateful for his help and delighted to welcome him to the CATHARSIS team!

Tell us a little about yourself . . .

I am a fifth generation Nashvillian, and I am a junior at Belmont University majoring in Public Relations. My hobbies include reading old books, spending time with animals, and volunteering. I hope to work in nonprofit public relations after graduation.

What excites you most about CATHARSIS?

I am a strong proponent of specialized mental care using music and art therapy. Traditional mental healthcare often can fall short by being overly clinical or ignoring marginalized communities. That’s why I find CATHARSIS’ mission of affordable holistic mental health critically important.

Why did you decide to serve as our intern?

I am thrilled to utilize my skills for such a worthy organization, and it will enable me to put all the lessons I am learning in the classroom into practice for an emerging organization.

What are you most looking forward to about our journey these next few months?

I am looking forward to using my skills to increase the number of people on the CATHARSIS journey. I know that if more people hear about the work and the mission of CATHARSIS, they will want to give what they can to bring the vision to life. I hope I can play a role in amplifying the mission of the organization.