With her outstanding academics, dedication toward health outcomes, and her connection to Indigenous-focused healthcare, Tamara Odden is Aleut’s 2024 Student of the Year!
With support from The Aleut Foundation, Tamara graduated in May of 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Biohealth-Biotech & Biopharma from Loyola University. She is continuing her education and was recently accepted into the Master of Science in Nursing Program at the prestigious John Hopkins School of Nursing.
Tamara grew up in Willow, Alaska and has four sisters and two brothers. She is a mother of two boys, and she credits her family with being incredibly helpful along her educational journey.
“They help me study, have let me practice what I’m learning in nursing school with them (I’ve listened to their hearts and lung sounds so many times!) and are incredibly understanding and patient with me. I also have an amazing partner, Collin, whose support has been immeasurable.”
Tamara embraces her Unangan and Iñupiaq heritage and feels it is important to share that culture with her children, sharing the following: “Whether it has been attending and supporting fellow students in the Eskimo-Indian Olympics as a child, taking traditional salve-making classes, or participating in Learning Circles with elders as an adult, I consistently feel called to embrace my heritage and to use that to connect with others. I am bringing this to my children, too, as we all attended events at the Alaska Native Heritage Center and even went to the Annual Pow-Wow in Baltimore.”
Tamara’s long-term goal is to become a nurse and work at the Alaska Native Medical Center, which she shared exemplifies her dedication to serving Indigenous people in a healthcare system that values cultural responsiveness and community empowerment. Tamara has been influenced by her work as an improvement specialist at Southcentral Foundation (SCF).
“My journey in healthcare has been profoundly influenced by the principles of customer-ownership and patient-driven care at Southcentral Foundation. As a tribally owned and managed healthcare system, SCF operates under the belief that customer-owners truly own their healthcare system and have the agency to drive their healthcare decisions, both individually and systemically.”