Calling Dallas, Texas home, Ariel Austin is a Community Outreach Specialist at Moncrief Cancer Institute, part of UT Southwestern Medical Center. With nearly four years of experience, she focuses on supporting cancer survivors—especially Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) patients—within medically underserved populations. Her work is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves access to quality care and support, regardless of background or circumstance.

Ariel’s passion for health equity is both personal and professional. As a Black woman, she brings a lived understanding of systemic disparities that persist in healthcare. This drives her commitment to culturally responsive community engagement—sharing resources, building trust, and amplifying the voices of those too often left out of the conversation. A formative chapter in Ariel’s career was her time as a Community Health Worker in a public hospital system, where she acted as a bridge between patients and providers. That experience deepened her understanding of the challenges people face in navigating care and the importance of building accessible, compassionate systems.

At Moncrief, one of the projects Ariel is most excited about is cultivating a strong peer support network for AYA cancer survivors. Her goal is to create empowering spaces, both online and in person, where young people can connect, share experiences, and feel seen. To Ariel, leadership means stepping forward with courage and conviction. She draws inspiration from Audre Lorde’s words: “When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision—then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”