Former Eagle PR director advocates for better mental health in Colorado

One of our admirable OC alumni, Aubree Hughes graduated with a degree in public relations in 2016 and now works for Mental Health Colorado. Hughes was the firm director for Eagle PR in 2015.  

Mental Health Colorado is a nonprofit based out of Denver, CO that fights for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. This organization is the state's leading advocate for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders

According to Hughes, her role is to engage the press and share stories from advocates across the state who have faced barriers to mental health or substance abuse treatment. She is the one at the crossroads of legislation and communications; it’s her job to communicate their policies and priorities in a way that resonates with the public and the press.

Another aspect of Mental Health Colorado is creating new legislation to make it easier for people to receive the treatment they need.

As an OC alumna, Hughes offers some advice to any current OC student who may want to land a job in the communications field regarding the importance of the words people use.

“One of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain comes to mind: ‘The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning,”” Hughes said.

As a PR student, Hughes said a great deal of what helped her get to where she is today was learning how to write a proper press release, finding news angles to tell stories and pitching to reporters.

“When I applied for jobs, everyone wanted work samples. I used all my work from Eagle PR and landed a job I love in a city where I have always wanted to live.”

-Written by Bayley Eckhart