Rachael Vargas
she/they
Office/Development Administrative Assistant
rachael@americorps-stl.org
Rachael was born and raised in Makanda, IL. Nestled in the depths of the Shawnee National Forest, Makanda, gained some public notoriety after being dubbed the “Eclipse Crossroads” due to the path of the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse intersecting directly with the path of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. The verdict is still out amongst the townspeople if this was a rare geographic coincidence or if the tornado sirens should be rigged with the Twilight Zone theme song. While growing up in the Southern Illinois Region they were able to take advantage of all the area has to offer including Giant City State Park, conservation, and ecology education through the park district, and even horseback trail riding camp with the Shawnee National Forest.
Rachael earned her Bachelor’s degree in English as well as Film and Media Studies from Northwestern University in 2020 and has since worked in Publishing, Design, and Education. Most recently Rachael received her Master’s degree in English and Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale where they taught composition and research practices. Additionally, Rachael has been involved with the Carbondale non-profit community for a number of years primarily working with the unhoused community. Central to their personal and work ethos is a commitment to working with underserved and represented communities and students and they are excited to continue to do so with AmeriCorps St. Louis.