To hear Roufa Hanna talk about his passion for helping people, you’d never guess that he was once an engineering major.
“I just didn’t see myself going down that path—I wanted a career where I could develop personal connections and help people overcome challenges,” said Hanna, who came to the U.S. from Egypt with his parents when he was 12. “Plus, the human body is just so miraculous, and I wanted to know more about it and how movement and health impact our future.”
Changing his major from electrical engineering to kinesiology and exercise science allowed Hanna to explore a career that focused on building personal relationships and trust. One of his favorite courses—Activities for People with Special Needs—provided opportunities to work one-on-one with patients.
“It was really cool learning how I can make exercise easier for people with challenges,” Hanna said. “It was so rewarding to see the smile on my client’s face when he made progress—it was a learning experience for both of us.”
Highly involved on campus, Hanna was accepted into the Life-Health Sciences Internship (LHSI) Program at IU Indianapolis. Through the program, he worked for three years with Stephen Schlecht, PhD, in the IU School of Medicine Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Hanna assisted Dr. Schlecht with research related to ACL mechanics and reconstruction.
“One of the reasons I wanted to participate in LHSI was to gain experience that would stand out when I applied to physical therapy programs,” said Hanna, a May 2025 graduate of the IU School of Health & Human Sciences (SHHS). “While I applied to six or seven PT schools, I really wanted to go to IU and was so excited when I found out I got in.”
In addition to serving on the IU Indianapolis Chancellor’s student advisory board, Hanna co-founded the SHHS pre-physical therapy club and served as a counselor at Camp Brosius, IU’s family camp managed by SHHS, for two years.
“I’ve really tried to open myself up to opportunities and to always look for things I can learn from every experience—it makes life so much more meaningful.”