Sarah (Hicks) Kastelic knew she wanted to pursue a career in working with Native communities, but it wasn’t until she arrived at the Brown School that she found a focus for her ambition. Now, as Executive Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), she’s helping to change national policies to make an impact.
Kastelic’s father’s family lived in a small community near Kodiak, Alaska, the Native Village of Ouzinkie. Her family background kindled a special interest in Indian affairs, which led her to the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies.
“When I came to the Brown School in 1996, there was a new director of the Buder Center, Dr. Eddie Brown (now at Arizona State University), who played a very central role in my experience,” she said. “I fell in love with social policy while I was at the Brown School.”