First Generation Story: Meet Professor Hannah Cory

Meet Professor Hannah Cory: When Professor Cory was a high schooler, she watched an ad from the United Negro College Fund that shared a statistic that half of Black high school students did not go to college. In that moment, Professor Cory saw herself as a statistical improbability, a dreamer in a reality where chances were slim for her, as a Black woman, to pursue higher education. Her motivation to enter higher education was deeply rooted in the intellect of her grandmother, a brilliant, unacknowledged mind behind the scenes in academia, and her mother, a top student whose opportunities were limited due to racial and socioeconomic constraints. Professor Cory embarked on her academic journey with a sense of carrying not only her own aspirations but also the untapped potential of the intelligent women who raised her; she felt that if she succeeded, it would prove that the women who raised her deserved more in life and would have succeeded too if they were given the same opportunity.

The Joy of Learning and Discovery

While attending a predominantly white and affluent undergraduate program, Professor Cory grappled with the endemic imposter syndrome that plagues many first-generation students. She felt underprepared, invisible and insignificant in an environment that felt foreign. Despite working harder than she ever had as pre-Health major, she often found herself getting disappointing grades but feeling like she had learned so much. This experience led to an epiphany that reframed her thinking about education—a joy in learning and discovery outweighs the letter on a transcript. This reframe was a cornerstone that fostered her growth and steadfast passion for science.

As Professor Cory advanced through academia, every degree pursuit was coupled with daunting financial realities and concerns about her ability to be there for her family while continuing her education. With her experience of receiving WIC benefits and free school lunches, Professor Cory channels her first-hand knowledge and empathy into championing public health initiatives that address the stigma, racism and systemic inequities that disproportionately affect underrepresented communities.

Being an Advocate For Diverse Voices and Lived Experiences Within Public Health

Professor Cory’s background, at the intersection of a rural upbringing, a low-income, single parent household, and lived experiences of racial discrimination, imparts a unique and crucial perspective on the root issues of public health and social justice. Through her early experience in academia of struggling to connect with faculty and finding an academic home, she became driven by passion to create opportunities and space for her first generation students. She advocates for the recognition of the value and necessity of diverse voices and lived experiences within the field of public health. Through her work, Professor Cory creates an environment where varied perspectives are not only recognized but fostered—where no one is left to face discrimination alone and where every student, regardless of their origin or the adversities they face, can see their dreams validated and their potential unleashed. Her message is clear and resounding: the boundaries of public health can and should be pushed, and there is a place within it for everyone’s passion, insights, and contributions, making the field richer and more capable of enacting real and inclusive change.