.117 Rachel Naugle

Few people in this world have a smile as friendly and as inviting as Rachel’s. When I met her in college, I was almost in disbelief around if a human can actually be as genuinely welcoming and compassionate as she is. As luck would have it, we both ended up studying the same major, which meant that I was able to witness her immense intelligence and sweet presence whenever we had class together. She simply is a good human being who people happily gravitate towards.

I feel like we often look at folks who are older than us for inspiration, but with Rachel, I was on the orientation staff when she started at GW and yet I learned so much from my time around her. She embodies what it means to be kind to each and every person you encounter in life, and she so clearly stands up for what she believes in. Rachel and I never were directly involved in the same exact circles or friend groups, but even from where I stood I was able to gather how special she was (is) and gain insight from her incredible energy.

Rachel, thank you for always being so sweet to me and for often listening to my crazy stories and tangents, in and out of class. Thank you for your wonderful and selfless personality and for always making people happy just by being in their lives. Thank you for being such a strong leader and always inviting others along for the journey. I’m so grateful to know and be friends with you. Thank you, Rachel, for being you.

-BD