Introduction!

Howdy! I am Rachel Herman, an aspiring teacher of High School Biology and Middle School Integrated Science. I am a native of Alexandria, Virginia, and I moved to Portland two years ago with my incredible partner Jake. Prior to joining this graduate program, I provided comprehensive care to adults with developmental disabilities, an experience that redefined my purpose in life. I served as an officer in the United States Navy for 5 years, which allowed me a glimpse of brotherhood and comraderie that can only be achieved by six months spent in a 120-degree-Fahrenheit machinery room that is 5 decks below sunlight. I earned a Bachelors of Science in Human Development from Cornell University in 2003.



If fate happens to deposit you at the Bloomsberg Fair in Bloomsberg, Pennsylvania, be prepared for a wondrous sight: for a mere $2.00, you may view the World's Largest Sewer Rat. In actuality, it is a dumpster with some straw at the bottom, and a capybara nestled in the straw. Observe the capybara, and perhaps you will understand why it is, officially, the raddest animal on the planet: