Her Story
About Rachel
My journey into business law and compliance started when I took my first business law class and discovered how law, corporate, and compliance all intricate with each other - it really spoke to me. I'm currently a senior at the University of St. Thomas majoring in business law and compliance with a concentration in business healthcare. I wanted to help people when I came to college, and while the medical field wasn't for me, I realized I could still make that impact through business law by helping families and patients. Right now, I balance being a full-time student with working as a Communications and Marketing Intern at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and serving as an RA for freshman students. A typical day for me is busy - I wake up, work in the morning, get ready for class, go to class, get back, do my RA job, get some homework in, and still find time to catch up with family and friends. One of my biggest professional achievements so far was presenting a major project to transportation agencies from across America, including North Carolina and other states. I was nervous at first, but once I got on the floor, I found my flow and gave a great presentation. After graduation this spring, I plan to take a year off and then attend law school, preferably University of Berkeley Law School, which is number 3 in the country for corporate law, where I'll specialize in healthcare law.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rachel
01What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Being a Black woman in a male-dominated field is something I face both now at St. Thomas as a Black student on a predominantly white campus and what I'll face in the future. It's not necessarily a challenge, but it makes me feel like I need to work 10 times harder to accomplish what I need to. Looking to the future at big law firms, I know I'll have to prove myself 10 times over to be acknowledged and work 10 times harder to get to where I need to be. But my main focus is bridging that gap and opening doors for others - if people younger than me see someone who looks like me on a bigger platform, it gives them that encouragement to keep pushing and want to accomplish something similar or even more than I did. I want them to know they can accomplish that and not limit themselves because of the color of their skin or their gender.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My physical health and mental health are super important to me, so being able to find time to focus on myself is a big part of who I am. I really value being integrated in multicultural groups - I'm involved in our African Student Association, our Black Student Association, and I go to events like our Asia Club. Learning about different cultures and seeing how we can bridge those differences between us and seeing how everyone can get along is something I really enjoy. I also make sure to spend time with family and friends no matter how busy I get. What really drives me is opening doors of opportunity not for me, but for people younger than me - giving them that little push to say yes, I can accomplish that, I'm not going to limit myself because of the color of my skin or because of my gender.
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