Alumni Spotlight: Rachel Chewakin, Class of 2020

Rachel serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives & Talent at the Principal Impact Collaborative (PIC), leading their public relations and communications, principal program recruitment, internal team talent, and alumni programming. She also oversees PIC's strategic growth initiatives and expanding programs.

Rachel began her career as a fourth-grade teacher in Arlington, Texas, and quickly observed systemic challenges facing the teaching profession, including the talent pipeline, and decided to transition out of the classroom to make a wider impact. The community she served in Texas greatly shaped her perspective of the world, and her passion for education and system-wide impact led her to serve principals, knowing that developing school leaders is a key lever for positive change.

Rachel joined Leadership ISD to reignite her passion for civic engagement, connect with other individuals eager to make a change in Dallas, and be equipped with the tools to do so effectively. “Leadership ISD empowered me to take bold action to better serve students," Rachel said. "As a fellow, I was reminded of the importance of leading with empathy and really digging into why and how our systems were designed to get the results they get. This idea of leading with people at the forefront of decision-making, and including them in the process, to solve the complex challenges facing our public schools was reinforced throughout my fellowship experience and continues to impact the work I do with PIC.”

Principal Impact Collaborative is currently recruiting experienced school principals to join their multi-district, two-year fellowship cohort. You can learn about the program on PIC's website. Know a principal who might be a great fit? Recommend them here.