Wellbeing is a collective endeavor – one caught in an inescapable network of mutuality and tied by a single garment of destiny.
In January, we reflected on the enduring legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose unwavering commitment to justice continues to inspire our relentless pursuit of health equity on campus and beyond.
His words remind us that our health is deeply interconnected; More than absence of illness, our wellbeing is a fundamental human right, bound to social, economic and environmental means that should empower everyone to thrive. The alternative? A growing chasm of health inequality with terrible costs.
Today and every day, we hold Dr. King’s words from Birmingham Jail: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
As this year’s recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award for the School of Pharmacy, we’re proud to honor Keiann Simon, a PhD candidate in Pharmaceutics who exemplifies Dr. King’s call to service.
On January 16, before the University of Washington Health Sciences community, we celebrated Keiann’s dedication to mentoring underrepresented students and promoting STEM education through mentorship, outreach and diversity.
“This award is going to propel me forward to do more for my community,” Keiann reflects. “I feel like I haven’t done enough. I want to do much, much more. I’m so grateful for the people who encouraged me and nominated me and supported me in this.”
Keiann’s work embodies Dr. King’s legacy while inspiring us to reflect on our shared responsibility to lift each other up: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
Join us in honoring Keiann’s impactful work, Dr. King’s vision for a better world and continuing the pursuit of a more equitable future.