Alumna Turns Grief into Purpose

Alumna Angela Frazier, MPH ‘18, transformed personal loss into a national effort to support women and unite leaders across public health. 

When Frazier first began her graduate studies at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, she planned to concentrate in global health. This path shifted in 2016 after the loss of her mother to suicide. This experience during the pursuit of her degree reshaped her perspective and deepened her commitment to addressing complex health challenges, particularly in mental health and wellness. As she enrolled in her first semester, she became dedicated to improving care, sustainability, and collective well-being at the community level. 

“My mother’s passing profoundly shifted my perspective, drawing my attention to the importance of mental health, self-care, and wellness,” she shared. During her graduate studies, she founded Sisters in Public Health as a space where women could come together to support and uplift one another and advance the field. “In navigating my own grief, I recognized a deep need for community and support.” 

This community she created happened to be just what she needed while completing her master’s, a network of passionate women dedicated to making a difference in health spaces. 

“What began as a space I needed for healing and connection revealed a much broader need, one shared by thousands of women, not only in Houston, but across the country,” she said. “That experience fundamentally shaped my approach to public health and solidified my commitment to building spaces centered on care, sustainability, and collective well-being.” 
Since completing her MPH in 2018 with a focus on community health, she’s made it her mission to strengthen the public health workforce through resilience, leadership, and mentorship.  

The future of public health requires not only responding to emerging challenges but also intentionally strengthening the workforce. For Frazier, that means championing women in the field to be equipped, supported, and resilient to make changes at the community and global level. What began as a Houston-based community has since grown into a national nonprofit organization. This collective works together to support and develop leaders, a value the School of Public Health instills in its alums. The school’s network of over 10,000 graduates represents its legacy of improving public health  and solidifying its mission, the catalyst that first inspired Frazier to pursue her degree at the school. 

“I have been inspired by the strong culture of connection and collaboration across public health sectors, where professionals from multiple disciplines work collectively to improve population health. This collaborative spirit, paired with the field’s emphasis on upstream impact, has made public health an area in which I have truly loved learning, growing, and contributing.” 

Each aspect of her education and life experience has strengthened her mission, as public health has become ingrained in her next steps as a leader. Today, Frazier serves as the chief executive officer of Sisters in Public Health, overseeing organizational strategy, partnerships, programming, and leadership development. 

“As a leader in this field, there are moments when we must be vocal about the state of public health, advocate for our profession, and provide steady encouragement to our members, especially during times of uncertainty, burnout, or systemic strain.” 

To learn more about Sisters in Public Health visit here.

To learn more about prevention methods that could save a life, visit here. 

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.