I’m going to Cambridge – and I’m pinching myself.
Six years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom to two kiddos, struggling to make ends meet. My husband and I were desperately trying to fulfill the roles our culture prescribed for us, but we were looking at 87 dollars in our bank account and no way to pay rent the next month.
I applied to every job with a LinkedIn Easy Apply button and landed a part-time role at a local startup.
I expected to quit in a few months once we were back on our feet. But the harder I worked, the more I saw an opportunity to improve the quality of life for our family – and maybe if I really worked at it, a chance to make a difference in the world.
Within three years, I had gone from a part-time copywriter to the director of a content team.
For a while, I felt like the career transition was temporary, like I was just hanging out in marketing until I went back to teaching or being a stay-at-home mom.
But then I started thinking about an MBA.
Investing in tests and applications helped me to start investing in myself, and to get more serious about my career.
I also started sharing my story online and developing allyship content that resonated with men and women alike. So many folks want to see gender equity in their workplaces, homes, and communities, but they don’t know where to start.
I wanted to hear broader experiences of allyship around the world and to gain the knowledge to grow my business. I have learnt so much from the last six years in tech, but I knew a Master’s Degree would allow me to learn from a truly global cohort and to let my children be a part of these unique communities. With these goals in mind, I applied to Cambridge.
And I got in.
Had you told the awkward, uncertain, part-time copywriting Rachel of 2018 that she would be attending one of the world’s best universities in 2024, I don’t know that she would have believed you.
But here I am. Still awkward and uncertain, and ready to write the next chapter of my story.