{"id":799,"date":"2018-02-16T14:48:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T22:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=799"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:33:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:33:07","slug":"rachel-hensley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/rachel-hensley\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving up \u2013 and lifting up others along the way"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2uHcsKzMf18?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption video-caption-full\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">After she dropped out of high school to meet the demands of parenthood, Rachel Hensley\u2019s passions for community and cultural engagement led her to rediscover her educational path through Oregon State University Ecampus\u2019 anthropology program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>By Julie Cooper<\/em><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the face of adversity, Rachel Hensley pushed forward. Her community acted as a pillar of support, and now she\u2019s determined to give back the compassion she has received.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like helping others because I have been through a lot in my life, and I wouldn\u2019t have made it this far if other people hadn\u2019t helped me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Rachel works for Children\u2019s Trust, a nonprofit advocacy organization that strives to prevent child abuse and neglect while supporting children throughout legal proceedings and in the foster care system.<\/p>\n<p>During her time as a student, she wrote grants on behalf of the organization to secure funding for advocacy and programming. Since graduating, she has transitioned into a marketing role, bringing the organization a much-needed online presence and increased community outreach.<\/p>\n<p>She graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree online in <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/anth\/\">anthropology<\/a>, a feat that once seemed distant. At the age of 15, she became a parent and dropped out of high school before finishing ninth grade.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_800\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-250 alignright\" style=\"width: 250px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-800 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hensley-Disney1.jpg?resize=250%2C250&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Oregon State Ecampus alumna Rachel Hensley poses with her family in front of a Disneyland castle.\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Now that I have seen this through, I feel like I&#8217;m setting a really good example for my children,&#8221; says Rachel. &#8220;I\u2019m excited to see what my life brings me now that I\u2019m finished with my degree.&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Though her educational plans were diverted, she directed her time and energy to raising her children and serving her community in\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1.6rem;\">Roanoke, Virginia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest push for me to go back to school was when I started volunteering for a local nonprofit as an English for Speakers of Other Languages tutor,\u201d she says. \u201cI wanted to find a way to make a life of the things I love \u2013 serving the community and different cultures \u2013 and after some researching, I knew anthropology was what I wanted to study.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With Oregon State Ecampus, she found the pathway she needed.<\/p>\n<p>Her interest in cultural and civic engagement led her to participate in an Oregon State faculty-led study abroad trip to <a href=\"http:\/\/international.oregonstate.edu\/office-global-opportunities\/programs\/guatemala\/osu-faculty-led-human-rights-defenders-guatemala\">Guatemala<\/a>. There,\u00a0she interacted with activists working on the front lines of human rights and\u00a0environmental justice issues.<\/p>\n<p>Traveling abroad can be a life-changing experience for anyone, but for Rachel, it gave clarity to her ambitions. She\u2019s set her sights on pursuing a law degree that will allow her to work toward international human rights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the highlight of my academic career \u2013 not only because of the inspiring and courageous\u00a0people I met in Guatemala, but also because of the connection<span style=\"font-size: 1.6rem;\"> I was able to make with the other students and faculty who were there,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Among the numerous rewarding experiences that resulted from her education, the greatest was feeling her children\u2019s pride when she received her diploma.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really important to me that I finished my degree,\u201d she says. \u201cNow that I have seen this through, I feel like I\u2019m setting a really good example for my children.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Discover more about learning online with nationally ranked Oregon State Ecampus.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/form\/\">Request information<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>After she dropped out of high school to meet the demands of parenthood, Rachel Hensley\u2019s passions for community and cultural engagement led her to rediscover her educational path through Oregon State University Ecampus\u2019 anthropology program. After an Oregon State faculty-led study abroad trip to Guatemala, Rachel\u2019s set her sights on pursuing a law degree that will allow her to work toward international human rights. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[116,641],"class_list":["post-799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-anthropology","tag-languages-and-liberal-arts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Rachel.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-cT","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":85,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/anthropology-award-winners\/","url_meta":{"origin":799,"position":0},"title":"Two anthropology students win major university awards","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"May 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Mindy Proski and Aryn Sanderson are further proof that Oregon State's best and brightest learners study online as well as on campus. The two Ecampus anthropology students each earned high honors from OSU while learning at a distance.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Aryn-Sanderson-2015-ANTH-grad-web.jpg?fit=380%2C271&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1127,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":799,"position":1},"title":"Anthropology in action explores complex human issues","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"February 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I love finding practical ways to make students\u2019 goals a reality.\" Ecampus anthropology advisor and instructor Brenda Kellar has been a leader in the anthropology program since Oregon State first began offering the degree online, but as a three-time OSU alumna, her roots go even deeper.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brenda Kellar, Ecampus anthropology advisor. Brenda wears a pink floral patterned button-up shirt and has short gray hair. She is seated in front of a bookshelf across from a person to whom she is speaking.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":284,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/behind-scenes-sarah-cunningham\/","url_meta":{"origin":799,"position":2},"title":"Behind the scenes with Sarah Cunningham, anthropology instructor","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"September 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cI like to think of myself as a facilitator of learning in both the classroom and beyond. In addition to guiding students through particular topics, I try to hold up a mirror with which they can also examine their own experiences, perspectives and culture,\" Sarah says.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sarah Cunningham stands facing to her left in front of Waldo Hall on the Oregon State University Corvallis campus.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sarah-Cunningham-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sarah-Cunningham-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sarah-Cunningham-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1301,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/sustainability-anthropology-graduate-chan-burgos\/","url_meta":{"origin":799,"position":3},"title":"Sustainability, anthropology grad finds inspiration amid poverty, disaster","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"December 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Inside a classroom in the remote countryside of Central Asia in 2013, Joshua Chan Burgos was jolted into a new and ambitious sense of what he needed to do. Volunteering for a nonprofit, he was surrounded by orphans and saw young faces filled with excitement. He saw children determined to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Joshua Chan Burgos, an OSU Ecampus graduate, wears a graduation cap and gown while surrounded by his family and OSU's mascot, Benny the Beaver","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/joshua-chan-burgos-benny-main.jpg?fit=744%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/joshua-chan-burgos-benny-main.jpg?fit=744%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/joshua-chan-burgos-benny-main.jpg?fit=744%2C532&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/joshua-chan-burgos-benny-main.jpg?fit=744%2C532&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":768,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/victoria-keenan\/","url_meta":{"origin":799,"position":4},"title":"Ecampus student conducts research with faculty to change the future of childbirth","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"January 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Ecampus anthropology\/WGSS student Victoria Keenan is investing time and travel into her education, pursuing internship opportunities on the Oregon State campus, despite the distance.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A side profile of Oregon State Ecampus student Victoria Keenan, who studies anthropology and women, gender and sexuality studies online. She sits at a desk with her hands placed on the keyboard of a small, black laptop.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-Keenan-main.png?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-Keenan-main.png?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-Keenan-main.png?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1344,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/native-american-students-benefit\/","url_meta":{"origin":799,"position":5},"title":"Paying it forward to benefit Indigenous students","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Luhui Whitebear has been closely connected to Oregon State University\u2019s Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws in different ways during her academic career. While pursuing an anthropology bachelor\u2019s degree online with Oregon State Ecampus, she would drop in whenever she came to campus to pick up books. Now, as assistant director of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Cultural-resource-centers-Ecampus-news-744x478-210924-Kaku-Ixt-Mana-Ina-Haws.png?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Cultural-resource-centers-Ecampus-news-744x478-210924-Kaku-Ixt-Mana-Ina-Haws.png?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Cultural-resource-centers-Ecampus-news-744x478-210924-Kaku-Ixt-Mana-Ina-Haws.png?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Cultural-resource-centers-Ecampus-news-744x478-210924-Kaku-Ixt-Mana-Ina-Haws.png?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}