Rachel Cohen, 21, grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina with her parents and her older brother, Michael. Her favorite thing about her hometown does not have to do with the actual city of Raleigh, but rather that she was the first generation of her family to be raised in the South. Upon moving to North Carolina in 2001, shortly after finishing 1st grade, she integrated into the southern way of life through public schooling, girl scouts and being surrounded by many children who had lived there for their entire lives. Her parents, both of which were raised in Pittsburgh, PA, were northern parents raising southern children.
“It was a great childhood, we all learned things together. Now my family definitely considers ourselves southern.”
Reading and writing has always been a big part of Rachel’s life, even in here childhood. From reading her first memorable novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, to collecting every magazine she could get her hands on throughout high school, it is no surprise that she finds herself a senior Journalism major in The Grady College.
Rachel was drawn to the University of Georgia for both its social and academic atmosphere. She immediately fell in love with downtown Athens, the lively social scene and the Grady College of Journalism. After Rachel witnessed a close family friend’s positive experience ahead of her at UGA, she knew the University was the right choice for her. Before leaving for Freshman year, Rachel received the most valuable advice she had ever gotten. Her old brother advised her have an open mind while meeting people and to give everyone a fair shot. Whether they be in your classes, dorm or even sorority, “the people that you meet over the next four years will be some of your best friends and they will teach you so much, if you let them.”
Rachel has found herself reflecting on the infamous Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as she started her writing career. She loved this book because, as the first in the series, it portrayed a child-like innocence and introduced the characters that the world fell in love with. The Harry Potter series was a staple in Rachel’s childhood because it served as something her family bonded over. It was the first novel that impacted Rachel’s passion for reading and writing.
Although writing was always an interest, Rachel started out as an advertising major at UGA. She enjoyed the introductory classes, but when she learned that Grady offered a concentration in magazine journalism, she quickly changed paths.
“I’ve always been fascinated by magazines… I have stacks and stacks of all my old magazines at my house.”
After beginning the magazine journalism, she thought she would write feature stories in magazines, but after taking magazine management, she believed that this might be the best track for her. She feels like she will have multiple careers over the course of her professional life. She would love to still work with magazines, but she will be happy applying the skills she has learned in Grady to any career she does.
Blogging has been a large part of Rachel’s writing experience, and her favorite piece of writing is her blog from her year abroad living in Israel. The blog allowed her to think critically about the events happening in the country that she was living in, and now she can look back and remember her exact thoughts from that time in her life. Rachel has generally preferred to use a notebook while interviewing and writing stories, although she has not written anything that required an extensive interview. She likes to be able to jot down her own notes on what the person is saying, e.g. “great ending” or “ask more about this.”
Throughout Rachel’s academic career at UGA, she asserts that the worst course she encountered was an English Advanced Composition Writing, a class she expected to thoroughly enjoy with her predilections towards writing. Despite a competent and kind professor, the class lacked structure and planning, leaving Rachel feeling stressed and at a loss of how to correctly complete the assignments.
Now that Rachel is a fourth year, she has thought about her future and what she will miss most about living in Athens and being a student at UGA. Rachel said that there will be so much to miss about UGA after she graduates in May. A sense of freedom in being a student and the camaraderie of friends were primary among those while internship experiences have provided a bridge to explore next steps and the work culture.
Her five year plan is still unclear, but she knows she wants to be working in a job she enjoys going to everyday. She emphasized the importance of enjoying one’s job, but didn’t specify a particular field. Rather, her focus was on being able to use the skills she learned in school to grow as a person. During this past summer, she worked for a company that made her realize the importance of having a passion for the organization that one works for.
“I didn’t care about the work personally, and that made going into the office everyday a little bit harder.”
When she worked for a company that she cared about last semester, she felt excited to go to work, a feeling she hopes to have in the future.