Originally from southern California, Rachael graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a dual degree in Film & Media Studies and Communication. Rachael is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (2018-2020) who served in central-eastern Ukraine, where she supported English language learning and technology education in a rural town.  

After the Peace Corps, she worked with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) in Vermont, supporting digital economic development strategies in rural communities nationwide. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy and is interested in equitable economic development and human-centered design.