Helena Sorenson has been quietly making big things happen for the UNITY family for a long time. From turning complex travel logistics into smooth arrivals, calm check-ins, and “we’re good” moments when everyone else is stress-sweating.
Her career started in service, including volunteer work with the American Red Cross, and grew into decades of travel leadership: coordinating domestic and international travel, support group tours, training sales team, and building reliable systems for organizations and clients who needed travel done right. She’s also helped organizations plan ahead in high-stakes moments, like coordinating travel for VIP city and state leaders to attend a federal disaster program months before the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
Helena by the Numbers (and the Flexes)
- 44 years in the travel business
- Airline systems expertise: Worldspan + Sabre
- Broad travel services: hotel, air, rail, cruise, domestic + international
- Certified Australian Specialist (Australian Tourist Board)
- Certified Disney College of Knowledge for Walt Disney World travel
- First Aid + CPR certified
- Academic background: Psychology major, English minor
- Language work: English tutor + Hebrew instructor
A UNITY “thank you” That’s long overdue
For 37 years, Helena has been one of the steady hands helping UNITY gatherings happen, handling details most people never think about, but everyone benefits from. And as we return to Oklahoma City for our 50th Anniversary National Conference, where our Founder J.R. Cook first began this movement to uplift Native youth, it feels especially right to honor someone who life’s work has been connecting people to places, safely, and thoughtfully.
Helena: “I was working as independent contractor in Oklahoma City where they hired an agent a lady who was Native American. After we became friends, she mentioned she had a friend who was Executive Director of an organization called UNITY. She wanted me to contact him to try to get UNITY’s travel business. I called, explained who I was, where I worked, and what I wanted from UNITY. He advised me when to come to his house as they did not have a store front at that time. Upon arriving to his home, I rang the bell and knocked on the door only to hear many “wolf sounding animals” howling and barking, anyone else would have left. He asked that I wait a few moments until. he put his “dogs” out in the back. I replied for him to leave them in the house, that I grew up with dogs, and it would be okay. He later mentioned that they were trained “to kill” but I retorted it would be just fine.
So I waited for him to open the door, and I would wait for him to bring them in. Y’know what? He allowed them to come in and do you know what happened next? Three of the biggest “wolf looking animals” came over to me and began licking my hands, arms, and face. He was so amazed. J.R. then said “whatever you’re selling, I am buying” and that was in 1987.
I have been working with UNITY ever since that time. So many students have grown up and moved away but I remember them like it was yesterday.”
Helena, thank you for being part of the backbone of UNITY. Your work has helped create thousands of “yes, we made it” moments- and that’s the kind of legacy that deserves the spotlight.