Rachel A. Stewart, Ed.M.

I decided to pursue a career in higher education administration because, very early on in my own time as an undergraduate, I saw how transformational the college experience could be for people-- and also all of the lost opportunities when issues weren't addressed or students who needed help fell through the cracks. In particular, I saw how a lack of awareness and understanding were harming students who had already been victimized or held marginalized identities, and how much just a little effort and compassion could go a long way.

The issues that I decided to focus on-- sexual violence, consent education, and LGBTQ inclusion, are ones that can be extremely difficult and taxing to focus on. I'd often walk out of an event, workshop, or training I had hosted feeling as though my efforts were not having any sort of immediate impact. However, very early on in my career as an activist, survivor advocate, and prevention educator, a mentor gave me a phrase that transformed everything about my work: "Remember, we are planting seeds. You might not be able to see your progress today, but these conversations mean something."

This is an outlook I have carried with me for the past 8+ years of doing this work. Folks may not be ready to receive this knowledge and jump into action, but they cannot un-hear what we have told them. They cannot unlearn the knowledge and tools provided to them. I truly believe that equipping every single person with the tools and knowledge to prevent sexual violence and support victim-survivors will lead to a radical change in our culture and society. You do not need to be an advocate or prevention professional to implement beliefs, behaviors, or policies that prevent violence and support survivors. The world needs all kinds of people, in all kinds of fields, careers, and positions, to implement positive action every single day, and I want to help get us there.

Interested in learning more about what I have to offer? Check out my About and Samples pages, or contact me using the button on the left!

"You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time." — Angela Davis