Lessons from Rachel Corbett

Ulemu Luhanga: 00:02

Hello listeners, welcome to Educational Landscapes, Lessons from Leaders. On today's episode, we are going to learn from Rachel Corbett. Welcome to the show, Rachel.

Rachel Corbett: 00:13

Good afternoon, good morning. Thank you for having me.

Ulemu Luhanga: 00:17

Well, people are listening from all over, so that was probably accurate to have different time zones covered. Thank you for joining us. So to get us going, what is your educational leadership title or titles?

Rachel Corbett: 00:31

So my current title is Associate Director of Academic Programs.

Ulemu Luhanga: 00:36

Wonderful. And what do you do in your role?

Rachel Corbett: 00:38

Well, I currently sit at the School of Public Health, the Rollins School of Public Health in the Behavioral, Social, & Health Education Sciences department. And one of my main functions is to serve as an academic advisor for prospective students and current students in the program. So that can consist of meeting, of course, with prospective students and attending recruitment events, also hosting admissions sessions and being available for student visits and questions from students about admissions application process.

Rachel Corbett: 01:12

But that also includes me serving as somewhat of a liaison between students and their supports or students and faculty. I also serve as a person that liaises for a student crisis or extenuating circumstances, whether that's between myself and the Office of Student Engagement and our enrollment services department. Also collaborate with other departments in my role. So I work closely with career services to ensure that the students that are coming into the Master's of Public Health program in our department are actually receiving the resources that they need.

Rachel Corbett: 01:50

A huge wellness advocate too. So I also lead and direct a peer mentoring program for the first and second year students in the department. This was something that was established I think in the first year of my role here in response to student demands. So a little bit of everything. I serve as a hub of support for students in the department, working really closely with my colleague, who is also, she's an assistant director of academic programs and then the director of graduate studies who is also a graduate of the department and the program. So yes, I'm a part of that team and I do all the things in terms of student support, student concerns, academic support for students.

Ulemu Luhanga: 02:38

Oh, I love that. As I was listening and thinking about all the things you do, I was like, "You are a hub and a student champion all in one." It's amazing.

Rachel Corbett: 02:49

Yeah, for sure. Definitely. I guess what I think of myself as a tour guide or someone that's helping the students navigate that space, because you have all the knowledge connected to the various departments that you work with to make sure the student is supported, through their matriculation. And then even beyond that in alumni services too.

Ulemu Luhanga: 03:17

So you get to see them through their full life cycle from when they're thinking about it to when they come out and become alumni. Wow.

Rachel Corbett: 03:26

It's a very, very gratifying experience to see them before they even start, to see them grow through whatever challenges they experienced. And then to even see them doing the work that they're doing while they're in the program is very, very gratifying. You hear them talk about what they aspire to do and they're like, "Wow, you actually made these things happen." And the resources that are placed around them at Rollins really helps that experience too. So yeah, it is definitely a gratifying experience to see them from beginning to end.

Ulemu Luhanga: 04:00

Oh, wonderful. I'm now curious how many, typically in a cohort, how many end off matriculating in each year?

Rachel Corbett: 04:09

So the largest cohort that we have seen included an incoming class of 125 students, and that was a mixture of dual degree students who are coming in for the master's of public health and maybe also completing their MD or completing a master's in business administration or nursing or theology. And I think that was the class of 2021. But typically we have about, I'd say 80 to a hundred students in any given cohort. In the years that I've been here, anyway, that's about an average.

Ulemu Luhanga: 04:48

My mind is blown trying to track that many students through their cycles.

Rachel Corbett: 04:57

It's crazy to think about. I've had the chance to graduate about four cohorts.

Ulemu Luhanga: 05:02

Oh, wow.

Rachel Corbett: 05:03

So it is really gratifying to see that process. And I also think about how in terms of public health and what they're going to school for, they're really passionate and they're actually resolving problems and creating solutions, and it is just really amazing to see. So yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 05:26

Amazing indeed. And so now I wonder, as we've talked about you being a tour guide, navigator, champion, hub. What skills do you use in order to get all of this work done in your role?

Rachel Corbett: 05:43

A lot of active listening in terms of, my role is really student centered, so listening to students, what are they looking for? What are they seeking in terms of furthering their education? Active listening with my colleagues as well, because I work on teams, we collaborate across teams to support students as they come in and complete these programs. So definitely a team player, an active listener.

Rachel Corbett: 06:15

I have a master's in counseling, so truly a comprehensive approach to addressing student concerns and making sure that the student doesn't feel like they're just a student. I think I see beyond that and I kind of understand that life is still happening as they attend school. Program development and implementation skills, the peer mentoring program in the department was given to me as a project when I started my role in the spring of 2020, and then we introduced the first cohort that fall. So seeing the development and the evolution of that has been really nice to see, when you think about what program development is and what it looks like to implement a program. Coaching skills, helping students get past whatever hurdles they might be experiencing. Again, serving as a liaison and connecting them with resources that are really useful for them as they experience whatever transitions they're going to experience.

Rachel Corbett: 07:22

I feel like an advocate, student advocacy in terms of especially their wellness. I think that kind of wraps it up. Problem solving. Yeah, I hope that wraps it up. I feel like I'm kind of rambling now, but that kind of wraps up what I feel like are skills that I really use.

Ulemu Luhanga: 07:41

Those are very important skills and I love that sometimes people end up in roles and they're like, "Oh, I got this degree and don't really use it", but you definitely use your master's in counseling in order to do the work you do, which is amazing. And so as I think about that, I recognize you didn't just start off in this role. So what was your journey that led to this current role?

Rachel Corbett: 08:10

I think it was unique. I don't know what other people's stories sound like, but I was a first generation college kid. I went to school thinking I was going to be a doctor and realized that hard science was not my best friend. So I explored sociology, it's something I fell in love with. And then I finished my bachelor's and started working in retail. And then a suggestion from a friend was to look at an opportunity at a career college. So I looked at a job and I started working as a reentry and enrollment specialist where I work with prospective students, but also students who maybe had to stop going to school and they encountered some life situations. So I would help them kind of resolve some of those basic issues and realign themselves with whatever path they came in or maybe even a new one.

Rachel Corbett: 09:05

So that was in 2012, my first role in higher ed, I would say. And I think that really helped me figure out what my niche was. I always wanted to be in a role where I was going to be helping people, but I didn't know what that helping looked like. So in 2012 or 2013, I decided to go back to school for counseling, and I thought, "Well, I'll go get a license and be a counselor to help people." But I realized when I was completing my master's that the students that I was serving in these different roles could definitely benefit from having someone who is a wellness advocate or someone who could see past just their position or status as a student to help them kind of navigate some of the challenges they were experiencing.

Rachel Corbett: 09:57

And so with that, I was like, "I'm not going to get licensed. I'm going to stay in higher ed." Because I think, again, as a first generation student kind of seeing myself in many of these students, I developed a comprehensive approach to helping students navigate these spaces. So not just what classes do you need to take, but how are you doing? What does life look like outside of the classroom for you? Is there anything that I could provide that might support you and you being a whole person?

Rachel Corbett: 10:28

So decided not to get my license. And then after that I developed this workshop called Self-Awareness Matters. Also established a business a few years ago where I've developed some workshops centered around wellness education. And now I'm here 12 years later working at Rollins. And I think that's kind of how I got here. I've been in a lot of different roles where I've worked. As a retention specialist, kind of looking at student academic progress and what kind of challenges they're experiencing to now kind of marrying all those things in my current role with admissions engagement and recruitment engagement, but also on the wellness side, making sure that I have a positive impact on the student experience, which has really culminated in the development of this peer mentoring program.

Rachel Corbett: 11:23

And that's kind of been my baby, I guess, because I've stretched and I've grown in that role as a program developer or program implementer. But yeah, I think that would wrap it up in terms of how I got to where I am and why I'm still working in higher education.

Ulemu Luhanga: 11:46

Oh, I love that journey. And as somebody who also, not that I wanted to be a doctor, but started with the hard, all three sciences and quickly learned, "This is not for me." I fully appreciate that realization along the way. And then it's like, "Pivot, pivot. Where are we pivoting?" And what I love about listening to your story is how there was a clear line of always thinking about the whole person and wellness throughout every type of role that you've had, which is amazing. I think some people, it takes time for them to work out like their niche, their passion, their purpose, but you found that along the way and it's really stayed. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. So I wonder then, what do you wish you knew before stepping into your current role?

Rachel Corbett: 12:45

What do I wish I knew? I think, so I would say when I got here in 2020, fall, no, spring. I started in March of 2020. And honestly since I've been here, I didn't realize how much support was actually around in these roles because when you become an academic advisor or an education professional who's not a professor or is not doing research so to speak, it's hard to find your way or stretch out in the roles. But I found that at Rollins, when you have other interests or there are things that may not always be a part of your role and you're interested in doing those things, I've been encouraged to do presentations and things at conferences. I think actually reaching out for professional development and things earlier on would've probably impacted me even better. But I think those things, like being mindful of the resources that are aware and also leaning into what networking really is.

Rachel Corbett: 13:57

I think I've been fortunate that I started my career in higher education. I was in my early twenties, so I had a unique position where I just had this same experience that some of these students are coming through to have. And so I understand it and I see it a little bit differently and can relate to those challenges and speak of my challenges as a way to help them navigate that space too. But yeah, I think one thing that I would've benefited from is knowing that there are professional development opportunities available for people like myself who maybe have a wellness centered approach to what they're doing in student services or student facing services.

Rachel Corbett: 14:45

But yeah, networking is important. Connecting with people who do the same things that you do is really important. But yeah, I think those would be the things like lean into that network at work so that they can share opportunities with you and things that might enrich your experience even more beyond just the service you provide for students, faculty or whoever's in that space that you work in.

Ulemu Luhanga: 15:12

Yeah, so important. And thinking about the networking and professional development, I'm wondering currently what continuing professional development do you do to keep up with the needs of your role?

Rachel Corbett: 15:28

So our department and the larger, what they call the student leadership team at Rollins does a great job of creating opportunities for that. So just alone in the BSHES department, behavioral social health education sciences department, we've been completing an organizational development series through Emory. I don't know what the larger title is, but that's something that the department advocated for staff. And so I've been engaged with that. I also connected since I started, a lot of my role with the mentoring program involves me connecting students to alumni. So years ago, I connected with BLKHLTH. I'm not sure if you're aware of who BLKHLTH is, a nonprofit organization-

Ulemu Luhanga: 16:16

But yes, tell more because our listeners may not be aware.

Rachel Corbett: 16:21

So BLKHLTH is a nonprofit organization, public health centered. They have some really, really great campaigns established with Advil, and I think it's Continental. But again, the goal is to educate people about racism and how racism impacts the public health of all people. But really, when I connected with that organization, I just fell in love with the work that they're doing. I thought it was really profound that they were all graduates. The founders of this organization were all graduates of the Rollins MPH program. So three from the HPM department and then one from the department I'm currently working in.

Rachel Corbett: 17:05

And by way of me kind of organizing events, I met the founders and we collaborated with them recently to host an anti-racism training in our department. So that's something that's happening this March, actually in a few weeks. So yeah, just so constantly finding ways to introduce things like that, not just for myself, but for my colleagues and the people around me.

Rachel Corbett: 17:28

When I also had the opportunity to present at the ASPPH conference last year, and that's the Association of Schools and Public Health Programs. And I had never, and this is because I had... So of course my colleagues recognized the work I was doing with the mentoring program. It was like, "Rachel, why don't you share this information? Why don't you write the proposal, submit it and see if it gets accepted?" And it did, and I was like, "Oh, wow, I've never done this before." But I had been doing this work with this mentoring program, and I finally had an opportunity to go present to colleagues from across the United States, some from outside of this space who were doing similar work and looking for opportunities to connect on things like this.

Rachel Corbett: 18:17

So that was definitely a professional development opportunity I had never explored before, but it was because my colleagues and people around me had shared those opportunities with me, and I now seek them as a result of some of the connections that I've made here pretty regularly. So yeah, anything, honestly. Trainings that are offered through department, through larger Emory space, I try as much as I can to engage and just learn more even through my own reading and independent research.

Rachel Corbett: 18:50

And I think also students provide almost an informal professional development for me. I learn so much from them, from the work that they're doing in public health. And it also informs the decisions that I make for the mentoring program and the things that I do with recruitment and how I approach students. So yeah, it's really cyclical and I found that again, Rollins has a rich, rich network of opportunities to engage with to continue learning.

Ulemu Luhanga: 19:25

That is amazing. And I hear you. There's so much we can learn from our learners. Their perspectives on things, where they're at, there's so much we can learn from them. So thank you for sharing that.

Rachel Corbett: 19:41

Thank you.

Ulemu Luhanga: 19:43

What advice would you give to someone interested in doing the same type of leadership roles that you've had?

Rachel Corbett: 19:54

I would say really, again, lean into the people around you or people that you know doing similar work. I feel like I didn't know that this was a career path that was available, despite me knowing academic advisors that I worked with for myself. Think about, again, if you want to impact people, what does that look like in terms of impacting people? What people do you want to impact? Do you want to work with students? I think when you think about students, you think about K through 12 in many cases, you don't think about higher education, but even more so associate deans and people who work in roles that really, really enrich and impact the student experience play a very important role outside of the faculty at institutions of higher education. So I would say do your research and think about program coordinators and do research about what type of skills they need.

Rachel Corbett: 21:00

Counseling, I feel like kind of propelled me for something I didn't know I was going to be doing. I truly thought I was going to be a licensed therapist, but I know that those skills were aligned with the work that I'm doing. There have been countless times where students come to me and vent or just share just because that I've created a safe space. Again, this is a part of the counseling training and development where you first of all get comfortable with yourself and kind of remove, or not even remove, but really reflect and get to know your own biases and things. And it makes you recognize that people are just people and we all deserve a safe space, especially when we're experiencing transition that will impact our lives for a long time. You think about your educational experiences, you want them to be enriching and encouraging despite them being challenging.

Rachel Corbett: 21:58

So that's what I would say. Think about counseling, think about opportunities to shadow people like myself, like the staff who don't, we're not really thought about it in terms of a professional role sometimes, but it is a rewarding role getting to work with students. But yeah, I think that's the advice I would give. If you want to work in an educational space, don't think just about K through 12 or about being a faculty member, but think about those supportive roles that also enrich the student experience.

Ulemu Luhanga: 22:38

That is so important. I think about, and you're so right, there's so many professional staff that when I think back, I mean some of them didn't even have the title of academic advisor, but they served that kind of role as I sat in their office. It's like, "Yes, you may be the admin staff for this department, but you're the one who has to listen to our students have meltdowns and all of that." And so I definitely resonate with what you're saying that there are these amazing helpers in our professional staff who if you're not a student or you're not aware of all that encompasses what they do, you miss out on really appreciating all that goes into the work they do.

Rachel Corbett: 23:27

Yeah, that's very true. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 23:36

Thank you. Thank you. So I want you to, now we're going to start reflecting a little bit more and going broader. So I would love to hear from you, how do you support or expand education in your profession or through your role?

Rachel Corbett: 23:49

Through my role, how do I support or expand? I would say, so in my current role as the lead of the peer mentoring program, I also serve as supervisors to two grad assistants. And this is my first time truly supervising anyone, honestly. And that experience, I think in terms of them learning or me guiding how they learn about program development and program implementation has been kind of powerful. When I think about what they're learning, they take classes on community assessment and program development for public health concerns and issues. So with the mentoring program, it's been great to see how with it being so focused on wellness in terms of making sure that first generation students have not a specific experience, but that they found community or that underrepresented students find community. I think it's powerful that we've stretched out in the department and have used this program to show what students are capable of.

Rachel Corbett: 25:09

Because I truly do learn from the grad assistants in my own... I ask them for feedback all the time in terms of how I'm supervising and what are the things that students are looking for and how do we use things that have already been established maybe at other institutions to really influence how we develop the things here too. So I would say there, I think even me just going to the conference and presenting on the material that I presented, I had a lot of colleagues who walked up and just asked, "How did you do blah, blah, blah? I want your contact information. What made you do this?"

Rachel Corbett: 25:53

Because I shared a lot of themes that came out of feedback that we from students. And I think those types of things, sharing that information to educate other people about the impact that you're having with the work you're doing and being open to also taking criticism so you can take that criticism and make sure that you continue to evolve as time evolves and people evolve in these spaces. So again, just kind of leaning into all of the things that my role entails. So whether that's the professional conferences or just working one-to-one with my grad assistants or my colleagues to make sure that people are aware of what's happening and what we hope to improve along the way.

Ulemu Luhanga: 26:46

Thank you. So important. So important. And I have a feeling I know where we're going with my next question and I look forward to hearing more. What contributed to your biggest success thus far, or what has been one of your greatest successes thus far?

Rachel Corbett: 27:06

What has been? So I would say first of all, my own faith has definitely played a huge role in me being confident in following whatever urges or things that I want to pursue. Before I came to Rollins, I feel like Rollins has really, again, allowed me to expand in terms of what I feel like I do well. And before I came to Rollins, I really struggled with leaving my last role because I moved to Atlanta in 2019. I took a job at Clark Atlanta University, and I still have a, she's more like a little sister, but a mentee who graduated and is now working in clinical research up in, where is she? In Philadelphia.

Rachel Corbett: 27:53

So when I left that job, I was so bummed like, "Oh God, am I making a horrible decision? "I think I had gotten to a point where I was looking for a leadership role where I could have a bigger impact. And when I left, I was like, "It's going to be okay. You didn't make the wrong decision." But it took a while for me to trust my decisions and trust that risk to just jump out and do something a little bit bigger than what I was doing.

Rachel Corbett: 28:27

And then when I got here and I met the people and I was like, "Oh, I think I found my people" and I say that because there's a lot of support and empowerment. I saw a lot of women of color on the leadership teams that I'm a part of and sit under, I guess. And that was really profound for me.

Rachel Corbett: 28:53

I grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, went to a predominantly Black schools before I went to college. And also working at higher ed. I hadn't been in many spaces where I saw people who looked like me. So I think when I came to Atlanta, it was like, "Okay, I want to be in a space where everybody looks like me." But then there was another opportunity. So again, fast-forward again, the people at Rollins have just been really supportive. And I think I would've never looked at going to present at a conference that was going to be full of thousands of people had I not had that encouragement. And then again, my own development and kind of evaluation of like, "You do these things well. You deserve to be here." But yeah, definitely colleagues and people who've seen my transition and seen me working at higher ed, saw me go to school for counseling.

Rachel Corbett: 29:50

I think even I used to, when I was finishing my master's, I was hired by the place I completed my internship to continue doing group therapy, for pretrial intervention, for substance abuse. And I think again, leaving that program and thinking about all the things that I had done well, just empowered me to bring some of these experiences into Rollins, into a new role. And then when I was given the opportunity again to do the mentoring program, this is another, "You're doing it. These are things that don't come by very easily. You actually established the program. You have some support behind you continuing this program. They've given you assistance by allowing you to work with grad assistants and hire grad assistants."

Rachel Corbett: 30:45

So it's just been a really, I think those things have truly contributed to my success. And I would say my big success is just being in this role and stretching out past the academic advisor position. And that for me has been rewarding. And again, that's not always the case when you work in certain roles, you're not able to do things that kind of sit outside of the main function of the role. But yeah, my colleagues, the supports that are in place, the encouragement that is in these spaces, and now I think the physical manifestation of this peer mentoring program, which is a brainchild of me and a grad assistant, would be those. Those would be the things I would say. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 31:35

Wonderful. And of course, I am sure the listeners are like me and going, "Tell us more about this peer mentoring program"?

Rachel Corbett: 31:42

Peer mentoring program. Of course. So March 2020, when I started, this is right before we were all sent home. So I actually, I was on campus for about two weeks and my colleague was like, "Well, it looks like we're going to be home for a week or so, so I hope that's okay." I am like, "Well, okay, that's fine." So that transition took place, and I think we, as a result of some feedback from some students, there was a letter written and they wanted something that allowed them to connect across cohorts. Because typically students in the master's program, you take one set of classes your first year, another set your second year, and they wanted an opportunity first to connect across cohorts to also provide some community for first generation students and then again for underrepresented students that would be coming into the department.

Rachel Corbett: 32:40

So with this, I connected with the reps, there's a student government association at Rollins of course. The reps for our department got together with them and asked them to tell me more about what they were looking for. So after that, myself and the first grad assistant at the time was Abre'ya Lewis, who she graduated in 2021, I believe. Yeah, 2021. But she was the first grad assistant. She put together how the matches would take place, what we would use in terms of public health interest and other details about people who were interested. And she just sent an email to her peers and asked if they were interested in participating. So we had quite a few, we had a lot, I can't remember the numbers of how many people participated that first year, but it was a large percent of that cohort. And then we sent an email with some Google Forms attached for the incoming class. There was quite a bit of interest, and that formed that first cohort in fall of 2020.

Rachel Corbett: 33:50

And the goal, again with the mentoring program is allow for some connection and community for students. And what we did in the fall semester, we kind of focused on helping them build rapport and kind of settle into their mentor or mentee role. And then we'd host social events virtually, however we did it, but we did it. And then we also host events in the springtime that are focused on alumni engagement and more professional development.

Rachel Corbett: 34:24

So in that first year, we hosted, again, all those events virtually that involved people like Matthew McCurdy from BLKHLTH. He came and spoke about his trajectory and his experience. We've done panels with alumni and faculty, speed mentoring and speed networking events. But yeah, that's kind of the gist of the program. Again, I work really, really closely with the grad assistants to develop and implement. And then this program is also, originally it was supported by our diversity equity inclusion working group in the department, which has kind of evolved to our equity and engagement work group in the department. So it's still supported by that.

Rachel Corbett: 35:11

The anti-racism training that we're hosting was actually again, an event that P2P established in connection with the equity and engagement team. So yeah, that's what P2P is. I think one of the main things that I've seen just from student feedback, we aren't perfect, of course, in what we're doing. We actually have a student group evaluating the program this year to really hone in on what its impact is and what things we can change or improve.

Rachel Corbett: 35:46

But that's the mentoring program in a nutshell, I guess. We've seen four, introduced four cohorts, and it is been a joy to see that come to life and be a part of it being present here. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 36:06

Yeah, indeed.

Rachel Corbett: 36:08

Students are definitely benefiting from it from the feedback that we've received.

Ulemu Luhanga: 36:13

Yeah, that's wonderful. And I love that students are benefiting from helping to, as you said, develop the program, evolve it, but also be participants in it. And I'm curious, because your grad assistants, are they the first or second year master's students or it's a mix?

Rachel Corbett: 36:30

It's second year master's students, they usually start their role in the summer before their second year starts.

Ulemu Luhanga: 36:40

Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. So recognizing in being in education spaces, we are constantly learning and growing. What would you say your biggest growth opportunities are right now?

Rachel Corbett: 37:00

The biggest growth opportunities? Wow. I don't know. I think opportunities where I could make myself a little bit more visible, which would create more work, just to be completely transparent and honest. I think with the workshops and things that I've developed, I do have a business called Girl Let's Talk LLC, where these workshops, one of them is called Self-Awareness Matters. And then I have one called A Conversation Party, and another one is kind of like a journaling workshop. All of them are tied to wellness, but I see expansion there. I've hosted some of these workshops for students at Rollins. The self-awareness workshop was really, really well attended last year. It actually went over in time, like 20 minutes over because the question was so rich. But all of these are wellness centered educational programs. So I see expansion there, me potentially offering this more for students.

Rachel Corbett: 38:11

And even beyond the Rollins space, I also have a collaborative or collective with two colleagues of mine. We're hosting a wellness retreat in May for women, and it's really just workshops and opportunity for people to connect with discussions about things that are a little bit taboo, maybe not spoken of in groups, but I just see myself as a wellness advocate, whether that's speaking about my own experience in terms of therapy and connecting with what it truly means to be well relative to who you are and what that looks like for you.

Rachel Corbett: 38:56

But yeah, I see those things continuing to evolve. I really, really enjoy working with the peer mentoring program. Really, really enjoy the fact that I'm able to offer something that I've created to the institution in this way. So yeah, right now I see myself continuing to stretch out in this role and really leaning into what it means to be a wellness advocate for myself and then the space that I serve. But that's what I see for myself. I don't have any specifics. Maybe I'll write a book. I could definitely see myself writing a book. But yeah, I think that's where I'll close it. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 39:43

I love that, the wellness advocacy and what it will lead to. A book, workshops, all the good things. Love that. Love that. So as you reflect on your work and what you do, what would you say you love most about your work and what you do?

Rachel Corbett: 40:08

I'd start with the people. I think being at the School of Public Health has taught me so much about work that I was doing prior to getting here. I didn't even know it was public health work. And I think the students are definitely one of the things that I really enjoy most about the work. But the people, the experiences, and even the place that I sit in terms of Emory and Rollins and the CDC in terms of so many different things, it is a hub of information. There's a lot of great work being done. And I think you also receive gratification from being around those like-minded individuals and people who are truly change makers. So yeah, I think it's the people. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 41:23

Wonderful. Wonderful. And so continuing your reflections, as you reflect on your experiences to date, what would you say your passions are around education currently? Or what is your educational philosophy?

Rachel Corbett: 41:44

Education is essential, whether that's formal or informal. I don't feel like culture is advanced or move forward without it, without the evolution of thought and practice. I'm consciously aware of how education has impacted my life and expanded my worldview, my wellness. Again, being able to connect with what you don't know or what you didn't know is really important. I think if I hadn't gone to college, maybe I think that worldview would be very, very different than what it is now. So I think it is essential, even if not to advance yourself for academic or career purposes, just being aware and educating yourself about resources that might be available to you. Again, I'm going back to wellness. I think we forget that it's multidimensional.

Rachel Corbett: 42:57

So as I get older, even educating myself about how my body is changing and I think about these things. When I went to school for counseling, when we learned about transitions and trajectories and life course and how as you evolve the way you do things has to evolve as well. We lose things, and that grief that you experience, whether that's a physical thing or a mental thing that you have to lose. So just educating, I think education is essential. Again, back to whether that's formal or informal, and it impacts our life trajectories and what we can do and how we might be able to do those things. It's essential. We wouldn't be where we are in the world if we didn't have education. So yeah, I think that's my position. That's how I feel about it.

Ulemu Luhanga: 44:02

Thank you. A very important position to have and very informative of the type of work that you do. Thank you. So my last core question for you, I recognize you are more than what you do in your roles. So what are some things you do outside of work to help you maintain joy in life and practice?

Rachel Corbett: 44:29

So I love, love to go to the movies. When I say I go to the movies since a kid, going to the movies has been my thing. I'll plan movie dates for myself like matinee, but I love going to the movies. I also love being outside. So I like parks and trails. I love the BeltLine. I love art and live music. There's a place not too far from where I live, where me and my fiance go pretty regularly. We don't care who the band is, we'll just sit at the bar and listen to live music. And there's also some local artists that we'll go to, live art shows and stuff. I love going to see live art and I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I have quite a bit of family here in Georgia, in Atlanta. So yeah, love live music, art, outdoors. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 45:36

Awesome. I love that. Very whole person.

Rachel Corbett: 45:39

Yeah, definitely a whole person. Yeah.

Ulemu Luhanga: 45:44

So thank you again for taking your time out to share with our listeners. And before I let you go, any last words of wisdom to share with aspiring educators or education leaders?

Rachel Corbett: 46:03

Any final words? First, I want to thank you for inviting me to be here today. I've enjoyed this conversation. I hope-

Ulemu Luhanga: 46:11

I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rachel Corbett: 46:12

I hope that the listeners have enjoyed as well. But I would say one thing that I would leave with is I don't think there's any wrong path to take to where you want to be. And sometimes we don't even know what, sometimes we have no clue what the steps are going to be, but be mindful of, again, what makes you feel well. Be mindful of the people around you who are there to support you in that wellness, whether that is your colleagues, your family, or even just passers-by. Be mindful that community is important. I would not be where I am without that community. But yeah, don't get tripped up by things not going the way you want them to. Think about the positive what ifs that'll come with taking risk. So yeah, that's what I would leave with. No path is the wrong path; align with what makes you feel well.

Ulemu Luhanga: 47:23

Thank you. I feel like I needed that lesson for today, so I appreciate those closing words. Thank you again for your time, Rachel.

Rachel Corbett: 47:31

Thank you too. Have a great weekend.