{"id":20660,"date":"2026-07-27T21:50:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T21:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/alumni\/?p=20660"},"modified":"2026-07-27T21:50:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T21:50:30","slug":"shanell-brown-healthier-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/alumni\/news\/2026\/07\/27\/shanell-brown-healthier-communities","title":{"rendered":"A broader view of care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


Shanell Brown\u00a0used to\u00a0care for one family at a time. Today, she helps shape the systems that support entire communities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a public health nurse, Brown spent her days supporting first-time mothers through pregnancy and the first two years of their children\u2019s lives. She loved building relationships with families. But she also saw barriers that couldn\u2019t be solved during a home visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI realized that there weren\u2019t a lot of resources out there,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThat was really frustrating. I started thinking, \u2018What more can I do?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That question has guided her career ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown earned her Master of Nursing<\/a> from the University of Washington Bothell in 2023. Today, she serves as racial equity director for Clark County Public Health<\/a> and leads Shades of Divinity<\/a>, the nonprofit she founded to improve maternal health and support historically underserved families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roles are different, she said, but the mission is the same: helping create healthier communities by improving the systems that shape people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning how to lead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brown didn\u2019t set out to collect titles. She wanted to expand her ability to make a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI realized that I wanted to learn more tools to become a better leader,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was a goal early on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She found what she was looking for at UW Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown lived in Tacoma while earning her master\u2019s degree. She could have attended a campus much closer to home, but UW Bothell\u2019s community-centered approach and focus on justice stood out. Every other week, she drove north for class, often spending the night in a hotel before attending early morning sessions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was committed to learning more about how to be a leader,\u201d she said. \u201cGoing to UW Bothell was a fabulous experience. I really made the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Shanell<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Facing larger challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

UW Bothell faculty challenged Brown and her classmates to think beyond daily responsibilities and consider the larger role nurses can play in improving healthcare and strengthening communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think a lot of people just choose jobs and think about the day-to-day tasks,\u201d she said. \u201cBut what\u2019s the overall goal? I think we as nurses should all feel a need to lead.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That philosophy didn\u2019t stay in the classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown founded Shades of Divinity while earning her master\u2019s degree and working full time. The nonprofit focuses on reproductive justice and improving health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and other historically underserved families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its launch, the organization has grown to offer maternal health programs, scholarships and a free pantry. Community pop-up clinics are scheduled to begin later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a voice in decision-making<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brown has continued to build her leadership skills after graduation. At the Washington State Department of Health, she created a pilot program introducing graduate nursing students to careers in public health. The experience reinforced something she had started to believe: lasting change happens when people have a voice in the decisions that shape their communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Clark County Public Health created a racial equity director position, Brown immediately recognized her next opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I really enjoy being at the table where decisions are made.”<\/p>Shanell Brown<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really enjoy being at the table where decisions are made,\u201d she said. \u201cI saw what injustices and health disparities looked like at the community level and the individual level.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work now includes reviewing policies, strengthening relationships with community organizations and helping the department move beyond statements of support toward meaningful action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really want to move from just talk to action,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Shanell<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Growing into leadership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brown said she believes leadership cannot be bestowed or measured by a job title. Rather, it\u2019s something a person continues to grow into over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her experiences have also taught her that leadership requires resilience as much as expertise. She has learned to accept criticism without losing confidence, establish healthy boundaries and care for herself while advocating for others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t pour from an empty cup,\u201d she said. \u201cI owe it to myself to take care of myself and show up in a healthy manner.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those lessons now shape the way she approaches difficult conversations, builds partnerships and works toward healthier, more equitable communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a meaningful career<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brown hopes UW Bothell\u2019s current nursing students think beyond landing their first job \u2014 and encourages them to build careers that will reflect their values and create opportunities to serve others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you think about your career, think about what is meaningful to you,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t just consider a job. Consider a career.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also wants students to remember that leadership doesn\u2019t depend on years of experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have a gift,\u201d Brown said. \u201cYou have an asset they can bring to the table. Don\u2019t let anyone make you feel less than because you may not have as much experience. Your perspective can be just as valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When you think about your career, think about what is meaningful to you. Don’t just consider a job. Consider a career.”<\/p>Shanell Brown<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After seeing the limits of caring for one family at a time, UW Bothell alumna Shanell Brown pursued leadership roles where she could improve the systems that shape community health. Today, she continues that mission through public health and nonprofit 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