Hi, I’m Rachel, SuRa FoMa’s lead guitarist and dedicated amplifier. While I have little actual musical talent, I thrive as a member of a team that creates meaningful, high-impact experiences that are also fun and inspirational. I have fun creating riffs and love harmonizing with my teammates while making sure each everyone’s voice is heard and valued. Outside of the band, I’m a mom of three teens, and I’m the Founder & Mission Director of VOX ATL, where I get to work directly with teens who are finding and projecting strong voices through leadership and content creation — and take our models to partners to inform and inspire the youth development field. Now that’s music to my ears!

Here are some of my answers to the Favorite Things survey so you can get to know me a little better:

Personal National Holiday aka Birthday: July 1

Organization Affiliation: SuRa FoMa

Favorite Snacks: Chocolate, of course! 

Favorite Candy: Ha, see above.

Favorite Beverages: Would it be rude to say “Same as Susan’s”? 🙂 

Introvert, Extrovert or Somewhere in the Middle? Extrovert (who can be a little shy, surprise!)   

Early Bird or Night Owl? It depends … 🙂  

What forms of creative expression speak to you most? Photography, writing (narrative & poetry), theater, collage and more. I also love to (watch) dance and sing (by myself). And I appreciate paintings, collage and multimedia — especially when created by teenagers! 

Favorite color: Periwinkle (I love to see it and say it)

Favorite song or album: Almost anything by The Indigo Girls and/or Elton John

Favorite artist of any kind: My aunt 

Favorite movie: Can’t pick just one! But I love singing the soundtracks to “Mama Mia” and “Moana” with my 12-year-old daughter. 

Favorite form of relaxation and/or self-care: Walking — on a beach solo or hiking / city walks with a girlfriend. Oh, and an occasional massage! 

Something that excites me about being in Chicago: Seeing this learning community come to life!