The Science of Leadership: APSU biology major Hannah Zahn excels as Govs soccer captain

By: Colby Wilson October 17, 2024

Senior biology major Hannah Zahn, a midfielder and captain of the Austin Peay State University soccer team, during a game against Lipscomb University.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Just as studying leads to a better grade-point average and training leads to more on-field success, becoming a great leader requires practice.

Senior biology major Hannah Zahn, captain of the Austin Peay State University soccer team, has elevated leadership to something between an art and a science. But wearing the captain’s armband didn’t magically make her a leader. She puts in the work to be whatever her team needs her to be on any given day and ensures that every player on the roster feels important and supported.

“I take this role seriously because I want to represent my team and my school to the best of my ability,” she said. “I’ve had to focus on defining for myself what success looks like in this role and what I want to accomplish … I 100% believe that everybody belongs here and everybody is important, and I try to center all my actions around that concept.”

Zahn cultivates her leadership style by drawing on her experiences and resources, tapping into a reservoir of leaders like the Austin Peay coaching staff and her mother, Gretchen, an associate high school principal and head athletic director of her district.

“You have to cater your leadership to the individual,” Zahn said. “I’ve been working on recognizing what each person on the team needs to feel important and included. That’s taken time, and I don’t know that I have everyone’s needs down to a T yet, but I’ve focused on getting to know my teammates better and learning what I can do specifically for each person to help them.”

Hannah Zahn celebrates with her teammates after advancing to the ASUN Conference quarterfinals in 2023.

Coming out of high school, Zahn knew she wanted to play Division I soccer and attend college out of state. Determined to leave Maple Grove, Minnesota, in pursuit of her education, she attended UT Martin for her first two seasons but wanted to be closer to a larger city with more opportunities. Entering the transfer portal, she still wanted to play out of state and ensure all her credits would transfer.

Austin Peay was a logical fit, enhanced by those who have helped Zahn academically since she arrived in Clarksville. Bobby Fieman in athletic advising has kept her on track to graduate on time and helped plan her schedule. She has also conducted research with Dr. Anuradha Pathiranage and now works with Dr. Gilbert Pitts on two separate projects—one on GnRH secretion in semaglutides (like Ozempic), which currently involves taking care of neurons, and another constructing a prosthetic hand and forearm connected to a motor, with functioning fingers that respond to bioelectrical signals. She hopes to present this project to the Tennessee Academy of Science in November, marking her first conference presentation.

“It’s my first time doing something like this, so I’m really excited,” she said. “I’ll probably be nervous, but I haven’t had time to think about that yet.”

For now, she is enjoying her final college soccer season and her role as a leader for a team with championship aspirations. There is a lot of talent on the roster, enough to make a second-straight run to the ASUN Tournament quarterfinals or beyond. The Govs are strong, and Hannah Zahn’s talent and leadership are key—she’s logged more than 2,000 minutes in her Austin Peay career, assisting on a goal in Austin Peay’s 2-0 win against North Alabama earlier this season. There’s still a lot of soccer to be played, even as she begins the arduous process of researching and finding a graduate school. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her college career, so many postgraduate opportunities will be available to her after she receives her diploma.

She’s focused on her future but remembering to enjoy the present.

“Before the season, I tried to envision how I would measure success,” she said. “And I landed on two things. One, did I give my all every single day, no matter what? And two, did I have fun? This is my last go-round; if I’m doing my best and having fun, then you’re going to get the best version of Hannah Zahn.”

About the Austin Peay College of STEM

The College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) provides studies for students in the areas of agriculture, astronomy, aviation sciences, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, engineering physics, engineering technology, information technology, mathematics, medical laboratory sciences, radiologic sciences and physics. Our outstanding, discipline-based programs are student-centered and designed to prepare students for responsible positions at all levels of research, industry, education, medicine and government positions.