Rachel grew up in Ballinger, TX where her family raised Rambouillet and Southdown sheep. She was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA as a youth, showing lambs and goats and competing on judging teams. Her strong agricultural background fed her passion for the livestock industry and ultimately led her to Texas A&M after graduating from Ballinger High in 2015. At TAMU, she was a member of the 2016 National Champion Collegiate Wool Judging Team and was assistant coach for the 2017 Reserve National Champion Team. She graduated with honors in 2018 with her BS in Animal Science. Rachel's interest in research began her last year at TAMU, when she served as an undergraduate research assistant on a team studying gene editing effects on male fertility in a mouse model. Her interest in research and physiology led Rachel to the Stress Physiology lab at the University of Nebraska, where her research on metabolic fetal programming in low birthweight offspring has produced two 1 st -author journal articles, two proceedings, three abstracts, and numerous individual awards. She is a member of Gamma Sigma Delta and a former winner of the Perinatal Biology Young Investigator Award and WSASAS 3MT Video Award. She has served as a board member for WSASAS, president of ASGSA, ASCI Graduate Committee Student Rep, undergrad instructor, and liaison for NE Sheep & Goat Producers. She has also authored 3 peer-reviewed extension publications. Rachel finished her M.S. in 2020 and will complete her Ph.D. in 2023.