Hannah Adams is from Birmingham, AL, and a Spring 2025 Summa Cum Laude graduate of The University of Alabama with Bachelor's of Arts degrees in Public Relations and Political Science and a Second Year Masters of Business Administration in Marketing/Sales student. Throughout college, she served as a Blackburn Institute Recruitment Team Member, Student Government Association's Presidential Director of Programming, President of the Carl A. Elliott Society, Alpha Gamma Delta Psi Chapter Director of Involvement, among many other roles. She was recognized as the University of Alabama's Overall Most Outstanding Junior, tapped into four senior honoraries, College of Communication and Information Sciences Barban Scholar, and recently the recipient of the University of Alabama's National Alumni Association Outstanding Student Award. In October 2024, she was crowned the University of Alabama Homecoming Queen after running a successful campus wide campaign and garnering support from the 40,000 person university.
 
When Hannah was five and a half years old, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Nephroblastoma, which meant that a softball sized tumor was enveloping her left kidney. To combat the diagnosis, she had radiation treatment, twenty-eight weeks of chemotherapy, and two blood transfusions. Following treatment, she had to have an eight hour surgery to remove her left kidney and the tumor. After continuous chemotherapy and radiation treatment, she was declared cancer-free and has remained cancer-free for sixteen years!

Hannah’s battle with pediatric cancer has inspired her to share her personal story, raise awareness, and spread hope to all children fighting cancer. Hannah has been an advocate since she was eight years old, first becoming involved with the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life. Currently, Hannah is an ambassador for the nationwide Gold Together for Childhood Cancer initiative, which allows Relay for Life teams to restrict their fundraising solely to pediatric cancer. Hannah has founded a University of Alabama Gold Together Relay for Life Team in Tuscaloosa and Hannah has raised $52,000 individually. She accomplishes her fundraising efforts through hosting events, sending letters to families and friends, having local press attend her events, and gaining sponsorships through companies like PDQ and programs such as Cub Scouts of America.  She serves on the Gold Together National Advisory Council as an Advocacy Lead and oversees training for fourteen youth ambassadors on sharing their stories and advocating to legislators. In September, Hannah has helped create digital content to inspire others during the Gold Together Champions fundraising campaign, which has totaled in millions of research dollars raised.

Another non-profit organization she works closely with is Hyundai Motor America Hyundai Hope On Wheels. In 2016, Hannah was announced as the National Youth Ambassador  for the program. In her time of being the ambassador and remaining involved, she has traveled to 45 different children’s hospitals in 36 states, helping raise and present a total of $30,000,000 in pediatric cancer research grants. Not only is she able to visit children’s hospitals, but she conveys her platform of pediatric cancer to thousands of people at events such as the New York Auto Show, Hyundai Hope On Wheels 5k/10k, DC Days, and a New York City Times Square Billboard. Hannah has participated in over 225 media (radio and television) and print media interviews viewed across the country with outlets such as Huffington Post, Good Morning America, FOX News, New York Times, and AL.com, reaching millions of viewers. 

One of Hannah’s main focuses of finding a cure for pediatric cancer is through raising legislative awareness. Hannah has lobbied and spoken on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. over the past ten years. She helped research and pass the STAR (Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research) Act and RACE for Children Act..  ​She has worked on legislation such as the Gabriella Miller 2.0 Act, Give Kids A Chance Act, Fairness to Kids Act, and the recently passed Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act.  During September, Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, Hannah travels to Curefest USA. This is an event where pediatric cancer activists from across the world come together and rally to end pediatric cancer. Hannah has presented at and hosted Curefest USA eight times. Using her background in advocacy, Hannah has interned for lawmakers in the Alabama State House, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the White House.

In addition to making a federal legislative impact, Hannah has partnered with the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) to create change at a state level. Seeing Hannah's passion and skills, ACCO hired Hannah as a Regional Advocacy Ambassador to coordinate lobbying meetings, advocacy trainings, and much more. She has helped create over $119 million in pediatric cancer research funding in seven respective states. In addition, Hannah became the first pediatric cancer survivor to join the Alabama Cancer Control Coalition as well as has worked with Alabama's Department of Public Health to include pediatric cancer in the 2022-2026 and 2027-2031 State Action Cancer Plan and create pediatric cancer research funding legislation. 

At the beginning of 2019, Hannah launched her nationwide 501 (c)(3) non-profit H.U.G.S. 4 Childhood Cancer. The meaning behind H.U.G.S. (Helping U Get Stronger) is that you can help families going through their journey with childhood cancer get stronger one hug at a time. The three main focal points of the foundation are legislative awareness, community awareness, and family support. Hannah provides family support gifts, lobbies, hosts awareness days, and gives hope to others. Through a partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Hannah has created awareness and support videos for the state alongside AL.com that have reached over 2.5 million Alabamians. She organized the H.U.G.S. Golden Gala in March 2026, which raised over $20,000, partnered with 50+ local sponsors, and honored 13 local pediatric cancer families. Working with University of Alabama on-campus organizations for the past four years, Hannah created "GOLD RUSH" week in September for organizations to wear gold ribbons to football games, write cards to children battling cancer, and hold fundraisers for pediatric cancer support initiatives.

Due to her dedication to community service, Hannah was awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award Gold in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She has also been inducted into Congressional Record  in honor of her instrumental work done as a pediatric cancer activist in Washington D.C. In addition, Hannah has a display at the Florida House in Washington D.C. that shares her story and accomplishments. 

Hannah currently hosts the Heart of Hope Podcast every Wednesday to share about the resilience that resides within us all and the belief that every setback is a comeback for growth. She engages in inspiring conversations with remarkable individuals, those who've turned hardships into stepping stones and triumphed against all odds. 

In the fall of 2025, Hannah was approached by Bell Asteri Publishing, an industry leader in children’s health literature. Beating the odds of the publishing world, where only 1–2% of authors secure a contract, Hannah channeled her own experiences into her debut children's book, The Crown of Courage. The story follows Lily, a young girl battling cancer, whose bravery causes a magical fairy crown to glow brighter with every step of her journey. Lily is inspired by the real-life Lily Manning, a young warrior whose own drawings are featured in the book. Elizabeth is named in honor of a dear friend Hannah lost to pediatric cancer. The Fairy represents Hannah’s own mission to bring a touch of magic and light to children facing their darkest days. The Crown of Courage was recently published and is available through 45,000 retailers across six continents. It can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and libraries across Alabama’s 67 counties, with themed activity kits currently in development to bring the story’s magic to life for young readers everywhere.

As Miss Florida's Teen 2019 and 2020, Hannah traveled across the state of Florida speaking, volunteering, and impacting thousands of peoples lives serving as the longest reigning titleholder due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She accomplished 215 appearances during her years of service, breaking the record number of appearances ever made. In addition to winning Miss Florida's Teen, Hannah received over $300,000 in cash and in-kind scholarships. At Miss America's Teen 2020, Hannah walked away with over $2,000 in scholarship money and was granted the Teens In Action award for her exemplary community service.

Hannah competed as Miss Covered Bridge 2022 at Miss Alabama 2022 where she placed as a Top 12 semi-finalist, won the Preliminary Evening Gown Award, and won the Catherine Crosby Community Service Award. Hannah competed for Miss Alabama 2023 as Miss Birmingham and placed Third Runner-Up overall as well as won the Catherine Crosby Community Service Award and Preliminary Evening Gown Award. Hannah placed Fourth Runner-Up overall and won the overall Community Service Award at Miss Alabama 2024 while representing Mobile Bay. At Miss Alabama 2025, Hannah placed as First Runner-Up and received a Preliminary Evening Gown Award as well as the Community Service Award finalist. As Miss Shelby County 2026, she made 106 appearances and was recognized by Miss Alabama with the Most Appearances Award in addition to being a state semi-finalist, 2nd runner-up to the Community Service Award, and Preliminary Talent Winner. Hannah is dedicated to spreading the message across Alabama that you can overcome any struggle by being confident, fearless, and positive!