Being a helper of all people is in senior Hannah Fife’s nature. 

With the school year coming to a close and college lingering just over the current seniors’ heads, Hannah has found her excitement about this new chapter. More specifically, she is greatly anticipating majoring in pediatric nursing at Albion College during the upcoming school year. 

“I’m excited to just be out of the house and on my own and just being an adult,” Hannah said.

Her deep passion for medicine and pediatrics and her love for helping children have carved a solid pathway for both her college life and overall future—but it goes deeper than that. This passion has stemmed from her very own family tree, inspiring her to continue the work her grandpa had once done.

“I chose to major in nursing because I really like working with kids, but I also really like the idea of working with medicine,” Hannah said. “Also, my grandpa was a pediatrician, and he opened up one of the first pediatric offices, so I’m going to go into pediatric nursing as an homage to him.”

As far as the logistics go, Hannah has her whole plan laid out for her future as well. Strategically, she chose to major in pediatric nursing as a sturdy entryway to the broad spectrum of professions the medical field offers. 

“I’m starting off with nursing because I’m doing the accelerated course through Albion,” Hannah said. “I’ll do four years out, be a graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and then go to Oakland University to take their accelerated nursing program. From there, I will graduate with my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and then probably do nursing for a little while and go back to school to either be a pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon.”

As an addition to Hannah’s plethora of knowledge and ardor for helping people, she is minoring in American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting to go the extra mile. She just wants to offer her contribution to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

“I want to be an awareness factor for deaf people that come in and know how to handle [assisting people who are deaf] and kind of be the guide for that,” Hannah said. “Once I’m in the hospital and they’re short-handed on interpreters, I can definitely step up and be there [as an interpreter].”

Alongside her passion for the medical field, Hannah also has a strong sense of understanding and empathy when it comes to hospital experiences. During her sophomore year, Hannah contracted the flu which then spread down to her liver, nearly causing complete liver failure.

However, this terrible situation ended up sparking her devotion to helping others with their own health journeys.

“[I remember] having some awful experiences with doctors and my health in that situation,” Hannah said. “I was really uncomfortable. I just want to be a good memory [for the patients] in such a scary situation.”

From her grandfather’s legacy to her own health experiences to her endless passion for helping people, Hannah has a combination of ideal traits to enter the nursing field. She strives to be the beam of light in difficult situations, all while doing her best to improve the lives of children and their families. In every possible way, Hannah’s goal is to assist those who need it and continue to be a glimmer of hope.

“I’ve always been a person to help people,” Hannah said. “That’s just been my thing. I think nursing is going to be such a good way for me to put myself out there and be so helpful to other people.”