Rachel Maddux

Rachel grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studied International Studies, focusing on the Hispanic World and Political Science. Her field of International Studies opened many doors to life’s adventures.

Chris and Rachel supporting the Tar Heels while in Guatemala.

Before studying Spanish, Rachel pursued French and was an exchange student in France for a summer. Her first trip to Latin America was to Nicaragua. She lived with a family for the summer, hosting groups from the US, acting as a liaison between the Nicaraguans and the gringos. She has also lived in Sevilla, Spain where she studied Spanish, Flamenco guitar and Flamenco dance. Rachel also spent a summer in Amman, Jordan as an intern with the US State Department working in the Economic Department of the US Embassy. She has traveled throughout Europe, Central America and to Peru and Ecuador in South America. The mountains of North Carolina, however, will forever remain her favorite haven.

Before joining Bridge Builders, Rachel worked with refugees from Bosnia, Vietnam, Cuba, Columbia, Haiti and different African countries, teaching English and helping them access the healthcare community for training, employment and medical services. She is currently working on her Masters degree in Applied Linguistics to Teach English to Speakers of Other Languages at the University of South Florida.

Besides traveling Rachel enjoys tennis, swimming, boating, theater and dance.

rachel@bridgebuilders.org