Rachel Goff Belmon
What makes Rachel Wildly Capable?
Rachel is the Director of Alumni Affairs for Langston University. She attended Langston as a McCabe Honor Student, earning a degree in elementary education while participating in a variety of activities to expand her own world and give back to her community. SHANNON MUSE
What makes you feel proud?
I am an educator, so I love connecting with children. I feel great pride when I see those children achieve great things. It’s a special feeling to know that I took part in their journey. I do my best to support young adults with obtaining a college education through scholarships, and I mentor young women through pageantry programs. I am a member of the Miss Oklahoma Leadership Team and have the opportunity to help staff, directors, and contestants throughout the competition. I am also a proud member of several service driven organizations that provide programming that supports young adults.
What keeps you up at night?
I have the most amazing 11-year-old daughter. Sometimes I worry about the quality of education she will receive because the landscape of education is rapidly changing. I want the best for every child. Regardless of their background, ethnicity, or any other demographic, children should feel welcome and able to learn.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
I struggled with making the decision to leave the classroom after teaching for more than 10 years. I truly love educating children, but I now have opportunities to facilitate workshops on engaging practices in the classroom with current educators. By stepping away from fear, I was able to grow professionally and pursue work as a program director. I have grown so much professionally and personally.
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
I want to see more community partners working together to provide support for young adults. There are amazing programs and resources, but I see value in a one stop shop approach to educating the community about these services. We need centrally accessible space that allows people to easily locate services, scholarships, and free resources.
