Shannon Urabe (pronounced ‘oo-raw-bay’) was born and raised on the island of Oahu, and spent her last four years in New York City studying Sociology with minors in Asian American Studies and Media at Hunter College.

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, Shannon decided to move to Seattle to pursue a career within the Chinatown/International District. She currently works full-time at The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience as their Visitor Services and Events Assistant Manager.

Through her work, Shannon has connected with many different organizations, such as the National Park Service, and has found how a strong community can truly create impactful changes for the neighborhood’s future. Through the In My Backyard program, Shannon hopes to teach high school students about the importance of the intersection of community and history, and engage them in pursuing community work.

She’s excited to be a part of the first year of launching A Place at the Park and can’t wait to meet new people! If Shannon is ever not working, she enjoys finding opportunities to volunteer at food events, playing her ukulele and binge watching a lot of comedy shows.