St. Olaf TRIO Upward Bound director named Bush Fellow
Mari Avaloz, the director of St. Olaf College’s TRIO Upward Bound program, has been named a 2024 Bush Fellow.
The Bush Fellowship program supports accomplished leaders with extraordinary track records who are ready to have an even greater impact across communities. Each 2024 Bush Fellow will receive $150,000 to complete a two-year program and fund their leadership plan.
In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Avaloz shared how she will use the fellowship to focus on ensuring Latine communities have access to the culturally specific support they need to navigate complex health care systems when dealing with cancer. She was inspired to pursue this work after her experience as a primary caregiver for her sister, Maria, who died in 2019 from a rare form of ovarian cancer. While her sister was fortunate to have access to quality health care, Avaloz said the experience opened her eyes to the health care challenges other Latine families face when there are barriers like language, documentation, and familiarity with navigating systems.
“What I came to realize after my sister’s passing was that our access was not equitable. I am certain that had we not been able to properly advocate for my sister’s treatment and supports, she would not have received the type of treatment that she did,” she says. “This experience sparked a fire in me that health care access is a fundamental right of everyone and it should be accessible.”
“What I came to realize after my sister’s passing was that our access was not equitable. … This experience sparked a fire in me that health care access is a fundamental right of everyone and it should be accessible.”
Mari Avaloz
Avaloz will use the Bush Fellowship to enroll in an intensive Spanish immersion program while living in Puebla, Mexico, this fall; obtain a graduate social work license; learn from other health care leaders in the Latine and cancer community; and complete courses to expand her leadership in the health care field. She also continues to actively advocate for health care for her dad, who has lived with cancer for over 20 years.
Through all this work, Avaloz hopes to honor her sister’s legacy by helping more Latine families overcome the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and care process.
“When I received word that I was selected as a Bush Fellow, I went to the cemetery to visit my sister, Maria,” Avaloz says. “I needed to share my excitement with her, as her strength inspired my application.”