South Carolina Honors College student and Stamps scholar Hannah Brennen is a 2026 Rhodes Scholarship finalist. If selected for this award, Brennen will become the University of South Carolina’s 11th Rhodes scholar, the first since Jory Fleming in 2016.
The finalist
A public health major and Spanish minor from Knoxville, Tennessee, Brennen has been involved in research and the Columbia community throughout her time at USC. She has pursued her passion for reproductive justice and improving maternal healthcare through research projects at the USC School of Medicine Columbia and the Arnold School of Public Health, co-authoring two publications.
Brennen is the president and founder of the USC Prenatal Vitamin Care Club and a program coordinator for the Perinatal Awareness for Successful Outcomes (PASOs) Prenatal Vitamin Program, which serves South Carolina’s Latino communities. She plans to study medical anthropology and comparative social policy at the University of Oxford before starting medical school to become an OB-GYN.
What she’s saying
“I hope to become a physician who combats maternal health inequities through holistic clinical care, community partnerships and advocacy that informs and influences reproductive health policy.”
About the scholarship
Established in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarship is one of the oldest and most prestigious scholarships in the world and funds two years of graduate-level study at the University of Oxford. Scholars are selected based on criteria established in Cecil Rhodes’ will and are to display characteristics such as academic excellence, strong collaboration and leadership skills and a dedication to working for the good of humanity.
The selection process
Brennen is one of approximately 850 students who were nominated nationally for the Rhodes Scholarship. Each year, 32 scholars are selected at district interviews across the country. She will interview for the award Nov. 14 – 15 in Atlanta.
The Rhodes Scholarship Nomination Committee is comprised of USC faculty: professors Carol Harrison (chair), Steven Lynn, Leah McClimans and Tom Vogt.
National Fellowships and Scholar Programs provides support for Rhodes Scholarship applicants. Students interested in learning more should contact USC’s national fellowships team.