My name is Rachel Rockwell. I am the Executive Director of Culture Inc. As a young woman, distracted by so many things, education was the last thing on my mind. I myself would have been considered an at risk student. In my first year of high school I became a teen parent. At eighteen, after acquiring my GED, I decided to attend Kirkwood Community College. I earned an Associate’s Degree and was awarded a full academic scholarship to Coe College in Cedar Rapids.

Distracted by life and overwhelmed as a single parent I failed to see my education through at Coe College. I took a long hiatus from formal education, a seven year hiatus to be exact. The real life education I received instead was one whose lessons I repeatedly tried to share with my son.

I would always talk to him about how if I had it to do all over again I would never have stopped pursuing my education. I shared with him how difficult it is to be poor.  I explained how not having enough money to pay the bills ussually results in bad credit. I let him know that bad credit means everything you need and sometimes just want comes at a higher price. I wanted him to know that through education there is power and knowledge to overcome many unnecessary obstacles.

As it came closer to the time when my son would be looking forward to graduating from high school I decided it was time to put my money where my mouth was. I enrolled at Grandview College and decided to complete my Bachelor’s degree.  The coursework at Grandview has opened my life to many opportunities. After earning my Art Therapy Certificate at Grandview I decided I really wanted the chance to help people to be their best and to truly impact people’s lives. I sought a career change and found a position as a business coach.

As a business coach I facilitated individual and group training with business owners, CEO’s, and managers to help them build their businesses. This is done through training on improved hiring and recruiting practices, financial management, training needs analysis and development, employee development, improved management practices, marketing, and client fulfillment.

 I have been able to touch hundreds of people through facilitating the building of better businesses  creating better lives for the business owner’s and their employees.  The combined experience of my education and coaching led me to revive a 15 year old dream that fits perfectly with my newfound passion. That is how Culture Inc., a nonprofit after school arts center was born on August 1^st,

2008.

I have truly found my niche, understand my talents, and have connected with my passion.  I have the ability, and take pleasure in building rapport and excellent relationships with people of all different backgrounds. Culture Inc. and its vision are so much bigger than me, bigger than its employees, board members,volunteers, and the community. Only through bringing all those entities together with a clear intent to positively impact our youth and our future will we see and understand how grand a vision this is!