Rachel is from Baltimore, Maryland and is currently a doctoral student in French Studies at Louisiana State University (LSU). She holds a BA in Political Science and French from Virginia Tech and an MA in International Education Development from Columbia University. Prior to starting her doctorate at LSU, she worked as a program manager at a research center at the Columbia University Climate School. She also taught high school French in New Orleans at Landry-Walker High School, and was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Rabat, Morocco. Additionally, she has led 11 high school and university study abroad programs in France, Spain, Martinique, and Morocco and she is very passionate about facilitating exposure to intercultural travel and world languages for students. In her research, she is interested in how colonialism, anti-colonial resistance, and environmental changes have shaped cultural production in the Caribbean, particularly in Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Louisiana. When not reading or teaching, she enjoys exploring art and music spaces around New Orleans and taking salsa dance classes.
