Hi, I'm Rachel! I'm one of those lucky people who actually love their job. But art and design isn't just a career for me, it's been the cornerstone of my identity since I was 4 years old. Growing up in the northern suburbs of Chicago to creative (maybe overly eccentric) parents, I was immediately drawn to all things creative: music, theater, writing, and especially art.

So it came as no surprise that after graduating high school in 2001, I moved to Baltimore, MD to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art. The majority of the courses I took were in illustration, printmaking, and writing. Dabbling in children's book illustration, graphic novels, animation and poetry, I earned my a Bachelors of Fine Arts majoring in Illustration with a minor in Creative Writing.

After graduating in 2005, I continued my education at MICA earning certificates in graphic and digital design. I then began my career in freelance illustration and graphic design before landing full-time positions in various companies and organizations. Currently, I am Senior Graphic Designer at the Humane Society of the United States where I am the lead designer for All Animals magazine and de facto in-house illustrator extraordinaire.

My ultimate passion is storytelling; supporting a positive message that imbues each individual who views it with a more informed understanding of our world. I truly believe each one of us can play a part in making it a better place for future generations. I hope my role in this life is to use my creativity, empathy, and reverence for humanity to show others a vision of a more peaceful, balanced and just world for all who inhabit it.