Alumni

Mary Hanna Class of: 2020 Hometown: Nashville, TN School: College of Arts and Science Major(s): Medicine, Health, and Society and Political Science Minors(s): Spanish

 

Growing up in an immigrant household, Mary noticed the difficulties experienced by refugees and immigrants upon their arrival to the United States. In high school, she was introduced to the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE), a local nonprofit that aims to help refugees and immigrants in the Nashville community achieve their full potential. Mary’s primary role at NICE has been to teach weekly classes to refugees and immigrants who are preparing to take the United States Naturalization exam. Though she began serving in this capacity in high school, Mary’s passion for the community encouraged her to continue throughout her time at Vanderbilt where she has been able to lead groups of fellow students to serve alongside her. 

 

After her first year at Vanderbilt, Mary continued working with NICE for her Ingram summer project, although this time in the health program. Her time there culminated in the creation of an extensive health education curriculum for the organization’s resettled clients. This project confirmed Mary’s belief that truly helpful organizations give the population they serve the means to become self-sufficient. In addition to her experiences with NICE, Mary serves at the Mary Parrish Center—a nonprofit that provides long-term housing to survivors of domestic abuse—where she has been able to witness the resilience and strength of the women in her community. Outside of her volunteer work, Mary has interned with Tennessee Justice Center and the International Rescue Committee, experiences that have taught her how to advocate for individuals and communities via policy. 

 

In the future, Mary will shape her professional life by following her service passions, as she hopes to become an instrumental advocate in the fight to secure equity, opportunity, and justice for migrants and displaced persons around the world. Mary is immensely grateful for and humbled by the Ingram Scholars Program, and she looks forward to using the lessons she has learned at Vanderbilt to guide her in serving the marginalized. 

 

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