Annie Cole currently serves as the Youth Leadership & Resilience Manager for a national Nonprofit called Bring Change to Mind. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and is currently a master’s candidate at IU Indianapolis and will graduate in 2025 with a Masters of Public Affairs with a concentration in Innovation & Social Change. She is a passionate educator and advocate with a commitment to youth. Annie has a background in trauma informed care and psychology and started her career in the public-school classroom teaching 4th grade. She uses her classroom experience to amplify student voices and bring change to the way in which we approach mental health in our communities. She is a firm believer we can change the world by starting with our youth. Bring Change to Mind (BC2M), co-founded by actress Glenn Close in 2010, is a national nonprofit dedicated to creating dialogue around mental health, and to raising awareness, understanding and empathy. In 2015, BC2M launched a student-led initiative at the high school level aimed at increasing awareness and education about mental health in a supportive environment. Their evidence-based, youth-led club program gives tweens and teens a platform to share their voices, empowers students to educate one another, and creates a culture of peer support within schools. Currently, they work with over 540 high schools, in 43 states and empowering 12,000+ students each school year. Indiana, one of BC2M’s largest regions, has a mighty community of 90 high schools and 40 middle schools across the entire state. When she’s not working or going to school, she loves enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend or a walk with her 2 y/o pup, Poppy. Website: https://www.bringchange2mind.org IG: @bringchangetomind @bc2mhighschool @annie_bc2m Tiktok: @bringchangetomind Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/annie-cole-7a7a9411a