Rachel started her academic journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Studies from UC Davis. Her film classes explored how cinema has changed over time in different cultures and languages. After graduating, she worked for several years as a staff member for at UC Merced. At UC Merced, she led the UC Washington DC (UCDC) and Sacramento Programs (UCSC) to help undergraduates explore the co-curricular academic opportunities available to them. Rachel also coordinated the required first-year general education course for undergraduates (CORE 001), working with campus faculty, community stakeholders, and inviting guest lecturers from organizations like NASA and other notable figures.

She eventually decided to continue her education and pursue a Master's degree in American Studies at CSU Fullerton. During her time in the program at CSUF, she studied various interdisciplinary subjects including ethnography, culture, gender, and work. She had the unique opportunity to study abroad in Copenhagen where she began utilizing her skills ethnography. She later honed in on these skills through a collaborative ethnographic project with a Western Armenian community in Orange County.

After completing her Master's, Rachel began her Doctorate in Anthropology at Indiana University, Bloomington. Here she plans to focus on understanding what care is and identifying who is responsible for providing care in retirement communities within the American Midwest. Currently, Rachel partners with Area Agency on Aging by volunteering for their various programs with seniors including Meals on Wheels delivery. Her previous experiences in higher education and her interdisciplinary educational background provide her with a unique perspective on the complex social, cultural, and economic factors that shape different ways people understand care in these communities. She hopes to bring this understanding to her field site in the future.