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Hannah Coleman
Hannah Coleman ’27 has always been devoted to helping others. When she was only 10 years old, she started Hannah’s Helping Hands to support her neighbors, raking the leaves in their yards, folding their laundry or walking their dogs for free.
“I’ve always liked to help,” she says. “It’s what fuels me.”
When you combine her helpful nature with her lifelong love for hands-on science, it’s no surprise that Coleman is now on the pre-med track and co-treasurer of the Pre-Health Professions Society at Agnes Scott College. She originally considered the nursing and physician assistant programs, but a survey course with Associate Professor Amy E. Patterson introduced her to her now-major, public health, and sessions at the Career Exploration Center informed her decision to go pre-med.
“She always pushes me and keeps me going. Agnes Scott is just full of good humans.”
Hannah Coleman
Coleman is particularly interested in understanding how healthcare disparities can affect patient outcomes and exploring strategies for improving disease prevention. She began interning at the Peachtree City location of Ankle & Foot Centers of America in high school and now works at the podiatry clinic as a medical assistant and scribe during school breaks. It was there that she built a relationship with a diabetic wound patient who lost his left foot.
“It started with a diabetic ulcer he never felt because of neuropathy,” says Coleman. “It just got worse and worse, and he had to have his foot amputated.”
The amputation led to significant physical and mental health challenges for the patient. During Assistant Professor Atticus Wolfe’s Health Policy course that fall, Coleman researched how to improve at-home foot care education to prevent ulcers and lower-limb amputation among patients with diabetes and vascular issues.
“Through media campaigns and policy changes, we can teach patients that steps as simple as checking your feet in the mirror, washing them daily and wearing clean and dry socks every day can save a limb and a life,” Coleman says. “That class opened my eyes to policymakers’ powerful role in patient outcomes.”
Coleman also engaged in hands-on public service at Fayette C.A.R.E. Clinic as part of the Hubert Scholars Program. The experience shaped her thinking about health equity.
“The clinic provides free medical care to patients, and many have not had consistent primary care in years,” she says. “Without needed medications, lab testing and prevention screenings, this can lead to gaps in their health.”
Coleman is considering applying for the Marshall Scholarship or joining the Peace Corps before starting medical school; a weeklong trip with her Global Journeys classmates to Sweden left her eager to learn and serve abroad. She’s also thinking about pursuing a doctor of medicine–master of public health dual degree. Whatever path she takes, Coleman says she is set on starting her own practice in the nonprofit space. In the meantime, she’ll be engaging in every new opportunity that presents itself.
“As an introvert, I have had to learn to say ‘Yes’ and be uncomfortable, like talking to people at pre-health events,” she says. “But it gets easier and easier. There’s so much to do around me—and saying ‘Yes’ can do more than you think.”
