Rachel began her time at UConn in Fall 2017. It took her until her junior year to realize she wanted to major in HDFS. When not in class or studying at the library, you would find Rachel running all over campus. She was on the cross country, indoor, and outdoor track teams for 4 years. After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2021, she moved to Massachusetts where she accepted her first job offer from The New England Center for Children. Their mission and vision aligned with her goals and career path. This non-profit organization not only offers many community-based programs, but it also offers extensive research on autism and applied behavior analysis. The kiddos, coworkers and opportunities during her time at the Center have shaped her into the young professional that she is today. Rachel even learned what it is like to run a marathon! She was one out of four runners chosen to run and fundraise for the Center at the Boston Marathon in 2022. Although she enjoyed every experience and opportunity there, she knew she needed a change. After her time in Massachusetts, she decided to move back home to South Jersey, and even saved some time (and some money) to travel through Europe.

In the fall of 2023, Rachel wanted another change, but this time with a warmer climate, so she packed her bags and moved to Charleston, SC. She accepted a job offer from Pattison’s Academy, a non-profit organization that serves individuals with disabilities from birth through 24 years old in Charleston county. She worked in their charter school in 2023-2024, and  as the assistant camp director for their 2024 summer camp. Since the fall of last year, Rachel has worked as an Early Intervention Service Coordinator, serving children birth to 3 with special needs or developmental delays. After less than a year in this job, Rachel has learned so much from each kiddo, every therapist, and especially her coworkers. Each day looks a bit different, and every day Rachel learns something new. She feels as though her detail-oriented, organizational skills, social skills, self-motivation, desire to learn and ability to learn quickly all help her manage a healthy work-life balance as an EI. She plans to stay here, or at least down south, for a few more years. But you never know what will happen in a year or two.

Rachel likes to emphasize how important it is to do what you love in your career, your hobbies, and your day-to-day life for your overall well-being. If you feel like you have to take a break from a 9-5 job and book a month-long trip exploring a new country (hint hint definitely book it). Doing what you love will ultimately allow you to become successful, whatever that may look like for you. One of the many things Rachel’s learned from running is that everyone is on their pace. Each mile looks different for everyone. Don’t compare your path or pace to anyone else’s. Be kind to yourself; you’re doing the best you can. And if you ever need someone to talk to, rachelannvick@gmail.com 🙂 Go Huskies!!!

Eliza grew up in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut, surrounded by UConn sports fans and sledding on Horsebarn Hill as a child. While completing her degree, she served as her university’s Vice President of Habitat for Humanity, helping to build houses in West Virginia and rebuilding NOLA after Hurricane Katrina. She focused her studies on socio-economic barriers to women and children, helping her Department Chair census our local homeless population and then open the No Freeze shelter in Willimantic. Many of her family members were nurses at the Mansfield Training School, and at 19 she began her State Service working for the CT Department of Developmental Services’ newly established group homes in the UConn area. Throughout college she also interned at the Willimantic Juvenile Court, managed a Naturopathic Physician’s office and volunteered frequently with local social service agencies.

Eliza first joined the UConn community as a staff member at SHaW, before relocating to Northern Arizona, where she supported their local university until her children had graduated high school. At Northern Arizona University she served as a CLAS graduate advisor, helped create, test, and implement their Business Center model and also worked in Student Accounts & Financial Aid. As beautiful as the red rocks may be, Eliza was not made for land locked life and is very happy to be home in New England again. When not at HDFS, she can be found gardening, baking, or walking her dog.