Career Educator with PhD in Transpersonal Counseling
Reverend & Social Emotional Learning and Facilitation Coach
M.A.T., M.Div., RYT-500 

Rachel is a globally minded educator who was born in Worthington, OH.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education (B.S.Ed) from Baldwin Wallace University in 2013. Rachel started her educational career in Green Bay, WI. From there she taught in Frederick, Maryland, Nairobi, Kenya, and Washington, D.C. While teaching in DC Public Schools, Rachel pursued her Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) from Trinity Washington University. After graduation in 2017, she served as an adjunct professor for Early Childhood Education courses at Trinity Washington.

 

In 2019, Rachel was awarded the Henry Ford Innovation Nation Teacher of the Year award and traveled to Uganda to train as an academic coach. She was in the Bwindi school district teaching and learning Limited Resource Teacher Training (LRTT). The program involved researching, modeling, sharing, and reflecting on culturally appropriate pedagogy with government officials, administrators, and educators.

 

When she returned home Rachel joined Early Childhood Special Education PhD program at George Mason University and published her 1st children's book, Maggie the Moomaid, which won a Mom's Choice Award in June 2020 and a Family Choice Award in December 2022.

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In alignment with her passion for art, technology, and creative expression with young children, Rachel began her artist in residency (weekend-edition) at The GIANT Room in New York City in 2022. Current art projects can be found on Rachel's Etsy page, EnergeticEducation.

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Rachel earned her Bachelor's and Master's in Divinity (B.Div and M.Div) through the University of Metaphysical Sciences. She is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher (RYT-500) and 'Reiki Master,' having completed all three levels of training. Rachel earned her PhD in Transpersonal Counseling, through UMS, in July 2022.

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She was appointed a position at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa and will begin in the Fall 2023 term as an Early Childhood Special Education professor. Rachel is currently in the dissertation phase of her PhD program at George Mason University.  Her interest in Project Zero, the constant quest to make thinking visible, and love of art have grounded her in a space of researching how children learn in artistic spaces, museums, and maker spaces.