Rachel spent 1 1/2 years in the Michigan Child Welfare system. 

Her experience in care has inspired her to pursue a career in child welfare. Rachel is the sitting president of the Youth Advisory Board for Our House–a nonprofit dedicated to helping young people transition from foster care to adulthood.  In her position, she facilitates quarterly community service projects, communication enhancement strategies, and the design and distribution of youth surveys. Rachel has served as a speaker on the MDE Panel on Foster Care and was a representative at the MCAN Advocacy Day in Lansing. Also, Rachel actively writes for the Fostering Success Michigan blog, and her current series focuses on self-care for alumni of foster care.

She is currently working full-time as an Administrative Assistant at the U-M V-BID Center and completing her transfer degree at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor.  Rachel plans to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in social work at Wayne State University and her MSW. Rachel is passionate about revolutionizing child welfare to lessen the barriers that foster youth and alumni of care face and enhance their experience within the system as a whole.  While she recognizes this is an ambitious goal, Rachel is committed to bettering the future of all whose lives have touched foster care. 

On a less career-oriented note, Rachel hopes to become a passable decent joke teller, birth chart reader, rock climber, and DIY queen.

“When all is said and done, you’ll be remembered by the impact you’ve had on the lives of others. Do the best you can to bring joy, light, and positivity to the world around you.”

State(s)
Team(s) or Cohort(s)
2019 Outstanding Young Leaders
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