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 Master of Public Health (COPHP MPH) program in the UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPop) within the UW School of Public Health.
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.
Helena Darrow
Darrow, who is a recipient of the UW SPH Rattlinggourd Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship Award, found herself drawn to the COPHP MPH 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.