Undergrad: Colorado State University

Major: Art History with a second field in Chemistry

Hometown: Aurora, CO

Assistantship: Asian American Cultural Center

Bio: Hi all! My name is Rachel Wada (pronouns: she, her, hers)! I grew up in Aurora, Colorado and graduated with honors from Colorado State University (CSU) in May of 2017 with a B.A. in Art History and a second field in Chemistry. While at CSU, I most enjoyed studying art history through a social justice lens and examining how art history is studied and taught. Outside of the classroom, I worked in Housing & Dining as a Resident Assistant, Community Desk Staff Member, and a Community Desk Manager. Through being involved in so many different roles in Housing & Dining at CSU I discovered how much I loved working with students. I also really enjoyed having thoughtful and intentional conversations with folx on campus about identity and social justice topics.

After graduating, I wanted more experience working with students in a full-time capacity. So, I picked up and moved to Duluth, Minnesota to begin a position as a Residence Director at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) in Housing & Residence Life. While at UMD I was able to develop as a human and as a practitioner and my desire to work with students and in student affairs strengthened. Even though I’ll miss working in Residence Life, I am very much looking forward to gaining new experiences through my assistantship in the Asian American Cultural Center at UConn!

In my free time I love to create art, cook, bake, take walks, work out, be outside, nap, and be in community with people I appreciate and love. I am so thrilled to continue my journey at UConn! Go Huskies!