Leah Repp has a heart for service no matter where the need might be. As a campus leader, she is a voice for University of Tennessee at Martin students as a member of the university’s advisory board. Once she earns her bachelor’s degree, the cell and molecular biology major intends to help people in the health-care field as a medical doctor. It’s a career calling that took shape well before she entered college.
Repp, a UT Martin junior, is a 2024 Chester County High School graduate who took steps toward a health-care career while in high school. She earned several credentials, including certifications in CPR and basic life support, OSHA 10 Healthcare Certification, Patient Care Technician Certification and Heath Information Management Certification from the Tennessee College of Applied Technology – a credential she earned her sophomore year.
She also gained clinical experience through Primary Care at Main Street Family Medicine in Henderson, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital and the Women’s Clinic in Jackson. These experiences gave her valuable bedside and patient-care skills, which are useful in varied health-care settings.
Repp planned to attend UT Martin and study nursing. However, before her UTM registration date during her senior year, Repp shifted her focus to becoming a physician.
“I initially decided to pursue the pre-medical track, and after researching my options for majors, I ultimately chose biology because its coursework closely aligned with the prerequisites required by medical schools,” she said. “I also felt it would provide me with a strong foundation in the sciences while allowing me to gain a better understanding of the academic expectations and workload associated with preparing for medical school.”
Once arriving at UT Martin, Repp found service opportunities in academic tutoring in biology and sociology, as well as leadership positions in Student Alumni Council and Student Government Association. She was accepted into the Tri Alpha Honor Society for First Generation Undergraduate Students in spring 2026, which connected her with fellow first-generation college students.
“I’ve always been a very anxious person, and I think putting myself out there with these clubs, taking on leadership roles, it’s made me a bit more confident in my speaking skills and the way I present to people,” she said. “Any time I get asked to do something, I want to do it and … to not miss out on any opportunities.
“It’s taught me that I may not always be able to say ‘yes’ to everything but do take the leap if it’s something you truly want to do.”
Repp was encouraged to run for the university’s advisory board position while serving as a senator for the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. She was elected by the student body and participated in her first advisory board meeting in September.
“My main role is to provide the student perspective,” she said. “The board discusses things that are happening across the university. I’m able to listen to those conversations and contribute from the viewpoint of a current student.
“I think it’s important for students to have representation when decisions about campus are being made.”
Repp will serve on the advisory board through spring 2027, but in the meantime her goal of achieving a health-care career remains front and center.
Besides her classes, Repp works as a scribe at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital’s emergency room in Jackson, a position in which she serves as a personal documentation assistant to physicians and other providers. Her health information management certification that she earned in high school has helped her in this role through providing knowledge of medical billing and coding.
“The emergency room – I love the fast-paced environment,” she said. “You’re always on your toes. It’s definitely a unique experience but it’s something that I’ve found to like.”
Repp keeps her options open as she considers becoming a nurse practitioner or physician assistant if medical school doesn’t work out. Either career track would allow her to be a provider in an emergency room setting.
Her calling to the medical profession has never been in doubt, and Repp intends to help West Tennesseans when her educational journey is completed. She identifies closely with the people who live in the region that she calls home. “I want to make other people happy. … I’m very well versed with the fact that no matter how it looks on the outside, someone can be going through a lot on the inside,” Repp said.
