Rachel grew up in the midwest United States with her parents, brother, and a succession of pet rabbits. She attended Hillsdale College and began teaching immediately afterward, her first job as a teacher's assistant for English classes in France. Following her time abroad, she worked in traditional public schools and at an educational professional development company before returning to classical education at a K-12 classical charter school. In her role there, she taught a variety of ages and classes, ranging from 4th grade to 6th grade French to high school composition. She also served as a curriculum specialist, faculty coach, and department head. She worked for two years as a Master Teacher for the Barney Charter School Initiative and has presented regularly at their summer conference.
Her greatest accomplishment to date is teaching pregnant until two days before giving birth to her first son without going into labor during class. Today, she lives in northern Indiana with her husband and two sons, with whom she enjoys cooking, hiking, and reading.