Meet Rachel Womack. Originally from Atlanta, Rachel was drawn to Lexington and the University of Kentucky due to her love for horses. She had been riding horses her entire life so it only seemed natural that she would attend UK to earn her degree in Equine Science. Although she didn’t know a single soul in Lexington when she decided to move here, she was like, “Here I go!” After a while she figured out that working with people, not horses, is her true passion. Rachel is currently a Research Assistant in the self care lab at UK and recently completed her Master of Social Work at UK and looks to continue her education in August in order to earn her PhD in Social Work.
Thanks, Rachel, for realizing how awesome our city is and we look forward to the outstanding work you will be providing to the people in our community!
Questions:
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Lexington?
A: I’ve been here 8 years. I moved here in 2012 and did my undergrad at the University of Kentucky. Then I took a year off and tried various different work opportunities that I didn’t necessarily think were for me. I ended up going back to grad school and did a year of a Master’s in Veterinary Science then decided to totally shift gears and do social work. I’m now completing my Master of Social Work and then will start working on my PhD.
Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A: I had a very hard time deciding whether or not to make that big change. I was working as court appointed special advocate through CASA of Lexington, which basically means that we are specially trained volunteers and we are appointed by Judges to abuse dependency in neglect cases in Fayette County Courts. We’d the go out and we were information collectors and advocates for the children that we serve. I ended up really enjoying that and felt like I was really good at it and that it was the way I could really make a difference. Beyond that I started exploring more social work related opportunities. I started volunteering at the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center, now the Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center, as a medical advocate for survivors of sexual assault. I ended up really enjoying that as well. I’ve figured out that I’m really passionate about working with people and working to solve these social justice issues. It seemed like it’s a perfect fit so I went ahead made the change.
Q: What would you like people to know about your job or the things that you do?
A: I guess what I’d like people to know about social workers in general is that we’re not just ‘baby snatchers.’ Most therapist are actually social workers. There are social workers in schools, at universities, at hospitals, working at hospice care, working with pregnant mothers, working in jails and prisons. We are literally all over the place and always just there to help. I think a lot of people don’t know that. Social work kind of gets a a bad reputation because people think of them as just working for child protection services, but it’s a lot more than that. Even if you don’t think you’ve ever needed or interacted with a social worker, you probably have and just didn’t know.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Lexington and what do you love to order from there?
A: My favorite restaurant would probably have to be Epping’s on Eastside. It has a really nice atmosphere. They are in the warehouse district and they did a really good job transforming the place but still keeping the character of the warehouse. I know it sounds really simple but they have a grilled cheese that they make with halloumi cheese, which is amazing.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Lexington?
A: I think my favorite about Lexington is that it is a large enough city that anything you want and want to do is here however I feel like it is a really strong sense of community. For me it has a small town feel but it has all of the resources of a big city especially when you seek out opportunities to get involved in the community. Now that I’ve found my little spot within the community, every event that I go to and all the places that I go, I am constantly seeing people that I know. It’s nice to feel that strong sense of community here. At the same time if you want a specific service, you’re not going to have to drive far to get it like you would it some actual small towns.
Q:If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: I would say Alaska and actually I’m very fortunate because me and my family are actually getting to take a cruise there this summer. I’ve wanted to go there for a really long time.
Q: On your day off, where could somebody find you?
A: I really like to eat out so I’m probably visiting one of my many favorite restaurants in Lexington. I am also a big hiker. My partner and I have 3 dogs together so we frequent the dog parks or any pet friendly places. I also really love to go watch movies at the Kentucky Theatre.
Q: What is a topic you wish you knew about?
A: Normally if I want to learn about something, I go find a podcast or something. I very much try to constantly teach myself things. I guess I would say that I wish I knew more about various medical things, specifically immunology or even public health. I think those things tie in very well with a lot of the things that social workers work on. Especially with me working in the HIV clinic right now, you have to have a pretty decent working knowledge of medical issues that we really don’t get taught in the social work field. I would say specific public health issues and how they intersect with social work.
Q: What is the song that you can sing every word?
A:I don’t even know that I actually enjoy this song but when I was younger I thought I was a really good singer and liked to do karaoke. My karaoke song was always ‘Picture’ by Kid Rock & Cheryl. It’s a terrible song but if I’m on a road trip with someone, I always play it and I’m like, “You be Kid Rock and I’ll be Sheryl Crow and lets sing this as a duet!” That’s my classic go to.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: I really want to go to Iceland and ride an Icelandic horse. They are a specific breed they have there and are unique because they don’t like ship them in or out of the country, so you pretty much only find them there. They are a pure bloodline that’s really tiny and hardy. I’d love to just ride one through the beautiful county of Iceland.
Q: What type of music do you listen to and who is your favorite artist?
A: I listened to everything. Pink is probably is our favorite artist. I love her. I saw her when she was at Rupp Arena last year and it was incredible. Recently I have really liked Blue Grass. I listen pretty much anything on the radio.
Q: Choosing anyone alive, who would you like to have lunch with?
A: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is my idol. I have framed photos of her at my house.
Q: When you have people coming here from out of town that visit you that never been here yet, what is something you get to take them to do?
A: Typically I will them hiking. I think we have a lot really great hiking in Kentucky that a lot of people don’t realize that we have. We’ll go to the Gorge or to the Pinnacle in Berea or even Keeneland when it’s open. I try and get everybody to visit in April or October because our weather is beautiful and I feel like you can’t not like Keeneland. I will usually take them to one of the distilleries, Woodford Reserve is probably my favorite. I think Woodford it so beautiful, charming, and really special. If younger friends and family come to visit I really like the distillery district and to take people to The Barrel and Manchester Music Hall.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: Hopefully finishing my PhD. I really want to go into disability related research following the completion of my PhD. Best case scenario I’d be hired in UK. I would ideally like to be either interviewing for or have gotten a faculty position at some local college here, preferably University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville in Social Work. I’d also like to be married. I do want kids but preferably not until I’m done with all of this so that I’m financially stable and have more time.
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: Most people I work with probably don’t know that I own a horse. I am also still pretty involved in the equine community here and like to go to the Kentucky Horse Park and watch the Grand Prix show jumping.
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A: Any body from the New Girl cast. I really like Zooey Deschanel and any of those people would be a blast to work with.
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: It’s never too late to figure out what you want to do with your life and where you want to be. I am in grad school with all these of people that are in their 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s that have just figured out what they want to do and they are thriving. I would like to speaks to people who have maybe kind of given up hope that they are going to find some meaningful or purposeful thing they want to do with their life and let them know that it’s never too late to figure it out.
