NAME: RACHEL TROPP

HOMETOWN: TRUMBULL, CT

It’s time to meet the second member of the 45th Street Manhattan team! Meet Rachel, a recent graduate of Harvard College with a major in Government and a secondary in Educational Studies.

So far, Rachel has been keeping busy leading employment skills webinars for America Works clients and planning events for the three fellowship subcommittees she helps lead.

RACHEL’S FAVORITE QUOTE:

“There are times when the world is rearranging itself, and at times like that, the right words can change the world.”

- Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game (1985)

Rachel chose this fellowship because her previous positions as a Policy Intern at the Children's Defense Fund and as a Teaching Fellow with Breakthrough Greater Boston established her interests in policy and direct service. As a Work First Fellow, she is hoping to learn more about how these intersect and how federal policies move from theory to practice in people's lives.

A HOBBY RACHEL ENJOYS:

Rachel loves to read - this year she decided to do the 52 books in 52 Weeks Challenge, and as of now she is at number 47 (A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman)!

WHAT RACHEL IS LISTENING TO:

She’s currently listening to The Lumineers, Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, and the Beach Boys.

Rachel has spent a lot of time working with children and advocating for children's issues, but came to realize that equity in K-12 education relies on equal job access and better adult education, leading her to the field of workforce development. She is excited to combine direct service and the facilitation of employment skills trainings with a research project on the job market and people's decision-making around jobs.

Now that you’ve met some of our Work First Fellows, keep up with them! Follow Work First on Twitter and Facebook to support our work connecting people with jobs and researching innovative strategies to combat poverty.