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While working at the Seattle Indian Health Board as an undergraduate student at the University of Washington, Helena Darrow realized that serving her Native community was what she wanted to do as a career. To support this path, Darrow enrolled in the Community Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) program at the UW’s School of Public Health. Darrow, who is a recipient of the Rattlinggourd Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship Award, found herself drawn to the COPHP program because of its commitment to anti-racism, equity, and focus on communities.
In this Q&A, Darrow describes her experiences at the School, her capstone project, and why it is important to center community and Native voices in public health to create lasting change.
What drew you to the public health field?
I started working at the Seattle Indian Health Board as I was finishing my undergraduate degree in biology from the UW. I worked there for four and a half years, first as an educational case manager, and then as a program manager at the Urban Indian Health Institute. While there, I led their youth program that aimed to prevent suicide and substance misuse among urban Native youth through promoting cultural connections. Working with my community was really grounding, and my time there helped me determine that serving the Native community is something that I would be proud to do for my career.
Why did you decide to remain at the UW for graduate school?
I took a graduate school prep course during my senior year and chose the UW SPH’s COPHP program. I was drawn to the program’s commitment to anti-racism, equity, and obviously the focus on communities since such a big part of my career so far has been working with Native communities. I’m also from this area, so it’s been great to stay close to family.
