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Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

Tag: Alumni

Alumni Spotlight: Helping Change the Future of Colorado’s Healthcare, Hannah Sieben, MPA ’21

Hannah Sieben Policy Analyst Connect for Health Colorado Master of Public Administration, '21

After finishing her MPA in 2021, Hannah Sieben returned to her home state of Colorado, where she is using her experience and the skills she gained at the Evans School for the public good. In her current work as a Policy Analyst with Connect for Health Colorado, Hannah is working to create greater public health care access for all Coloradans.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

The week that I graduated from Evans, I moved back to Colorado, adopted a puppy (Fig! 7 lbs of chihuahua/terrier perfection!), and started a new job. I love being in Colorado; my whole family is here, the mountains and sunshine are a great combo, and there is so much to see and do. In my free time, I’ve been participating in a Master Composter program (to teach Denverites how to start their own compost pile), reading for fun, and scouring Facebook Marketplace for my next DIY project.

What contributed to your decision to pursue an MPA degree? Was there a defining moment in particular?

After returning from Peace Corps service in Namibia, I worked as a civic engagement program manager at a nonprofit. I helped more than 5,000 high school students register to vote during this time, but I knew that I needed to learn so much more if I wanted to contribute to the vision and direction of an organization instead of just the day-to-day responsibilities if I wanted to have the career I was interested in. Pursuing an MPA seemed like the ideal way to gain experience and practice to complement my policy and legislative interests.

Looking back on your Evans School experience, what stands out as being particularly impactful while you were a student?

I was part of the Covid Cohort, MPA Class of 2021, so more than a year and a half of my time at the Evans School was virtual. While that alone was impactful, it also provided me the opportunity to collaborate with my peers in different ways. I learned so much about working as a team with people you may have never gotten to meet in person before, which has been an asset in my current position. I also served as the Vice President of External Affairs for the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and managed to rope in so many of my Evans peers to help us with our legislative priorities. Together, we passed important legislation to get graduate student representation on the Washington Student Achievement Council. All that to say, I was surrounded by incredibly smart and encouraging people at the Evans School, which gives me a lot of confidence about the future of public policy.

Can you share about where you work and your current role?

I’m currently working at Connect for Health Colorado, the official Marketplace for health insurance in Colorado, as a policy analyst. We are technically a non-profit but are really a quasi-governmental organization that implements the Affordable Care Act. I provide a wide range of research and support on policy and legislative issues, including advocacy, education, research, and analysis to help Coloradans get access to more affordable health care.

Can you tell us about some of the work/projects/initiatives you are working on or excited about?

Colorado is truly a leader in the health insurance marketplace space, and it’s been inspiring to be a part of the policy and implementation team at Connect for Health Colorado. One of the most impactful projects I am working on is around providing low-income undocumented Coloradans with state-subsidized health insurance. We are the first state to implement this type of program and much of my research has been around the health needs, barriers to health care access, and the eligibility requirements of our undocumented communities. In 2023, more than 9,000 undocumented people will have affordable, quality health coverage for the first time! It’s amazing to lay the groundwork for other states to implement similar programs and really put our money where our mouth is when talking about equity and inclusion.

Are there any specific skills/tools/learnings from your time at Evans that have been crucial to the work you are doing today?

One of the best things that I was able to practice at Evans was taking complex pieces of information and distilling them into something that non-policy people can understand. I have coworkers who specialize in communications and product development without a public health or policy background, so I use this skill all the time. I am also a confident public speaker, something that I practiced all throughout my time at Evans.

What are 1 or 2 resources (books, articles, podcasts, websites, TEDtalks, etc.) that inspire you personally or professionally?

I recently read Dear America, Notes from an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas. He later joined my colleagues and me to discuss his book and his organization, “Define American”, and to explain how he thought we could do our work in a better, more inclusive way. Both his book and organization really highlight the diversity and uniqueness of undocumented narratives.

Advocating for the underrepresented: A Q&A with Dr. Stephan Blanford (MPA’05)

Blanford alumni profile

As the Executive Director for Children’s Alliance, what is one advocacy and policymaking issue for children and families you are most passionate in solving (and why)?

Immediately upon assuming my role this summer, many stakeholders across the state alerted me to the perilous condition of childcare and early learning providers as a result of COVID-19. Since then, I’ve spoken to many members of the Washington Congressional delegation, State Legislators, philanthropists and department heads, trying to inform them how inattention to this issue will have long term consequences for our efforts to improve academic outcomes for all Washington’s children and imperil efforts to restart the state’s economy.

What contributed to your decision to pursue a career in support of the public good? Was there a defining moment in particular?

In all of the papers that I wrote at the Evans School (as well as my subsequent doctoral studies), I was interested in understanding the root causes of the inequities that we see in society, and the most potent strategies that leaders can use to address them. There has been no defining moment for this pursuit, but I frequently think about the emotions I felt while freezing on the National Mall with my family in January 2009, watching the first Obama Inauguration. It motivated me to pursue elective office myself (serving on the Seattle School Board), and has fueled my subsequent work, culminating in this new role.

What do you think the state of your field/organization will be in 2030?  What will be the same, and what will be different?

I suspect that because of this summer’s civil unrest, statewide childhood advocacy organizations will continue to shift their stance towards advocacy for children and families furthest from racial and social justice. For too long, these advocates and the institutions they targeted have pushed policies that did not take into consideration the historic neglect that many communities have faced, and have subsequently exacerbated gaps in outcomes. Hopefully, this is changing, and state legislatures are ready to listen to more racially equitable policy recommendations. I also hope that childhood advocacy organizations will adopt the stance taken by Children’s Alliance that we advocate “with children, families and communities and not for them.”

What is something you have been most proud of, professionally?

I’m probably most proud of my school board service – that I was elected with a record-setting margin of victory in a citywide race, and that I stayed true to my campaign pledge to think about and work on behalf of students who had been least well served by the school district. It meant that I was frequently ostracized by my colleagues and was on the losing end of too many 6-1 votes. But eventually, I was a part of some significant strides made by the district to focus on historically underserved students. It was the most difficult role I’ve ever held, but I feel that my sacrifice resulted in some positive progress.

What is the “GOAT” (greatest of all time) book you’ve read?

I am part of a BIPOC book group studying Ibram Kendi’s “How To Be An Antiracist” and trying to apply its principles to our respective positions of leadership. Given the tumultuous times that we are in, the book has been particularly instructive, challenging and revelatory, and I encourage all Evans School students and alumni to expose themselves and their practices to the concepts of anti-racist leadership in that book and other like it.

Who has been your strongest influence in life? Why?

The example set by my uncle, Staff Sergeant Clifford C. Sims, has been my biggest influence on my professional career. His story is almost unbelievable – after being orphaned and enduring a childhood of profound deprivation, he was drafted and served in Vietnam, where he made the ultimate sacrifice for others, throwing himself on an enemy grenade and saving the lives of many of his troops during a battle in Hue, Vietnam. He was given the highest award that a soldier could receive, the Congressional Medal of Honor, there is a large exhibit in his honor at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, and his example continues to inspire me to work on behalf of others.

If you could give Evans School students one piece of advice, what would it be?

The skills that you will acquire and the talents you can unleash as a result of enrollment in the Evans School are desperately needed in Washington State, the U.S. and the rest of the world. I hope that you never lose sight of the practical application of the theories that you’ve mastered, and how they can (and should be) brought to bear on some of society’s biggest problems.

 

We’d love to learn more about you and your tremendous contributions to the public good, so we can share your story as we connect, learn and reflect. Share your story!