Meet Rachel Lowther | Nonprofit Public Relations Coordinator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Lowther and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance has not been easy to achieve, but I think what made the difference was truly enjoying the work that I do. When I was unhappy in a career, my thoughts about it were negative, which leaked into my life outside of work and took personal time away. Knowing that my work makes me happy makes me feel good about putting time towards it, and overall better when I am doing things I personally enjoy. I can feel good about pausing my personal life to work on something I love, then finishing my tasks and returning to self care creating a balanced life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My current position as a team member of the nonprofit organization, EarthChildren, is my dream position. However, figuring that out did take some time and some odd jobs along the way. I did know that whatever I did, it was my goal to help others. I graduated high school and instead of going to college, I volunteered for AmeriCorps where I served underprivileged children as a reading tutor. Incredibly, after my service year there, the school I was stationed at asked me back to be a paraprofessional. Working with kindergartners for 4 years taught me so much more than I could have imagined and drove me to getting my education degree online while working! Doing both was exhausting and I did not understand self care at the time. I was drained by the time I graduated, not to mention I was also working at the YMCA, coaching highschool volleyball, and maintaining my own relationships and health. It was extremely difficult, so much so that I actually did not even want to use the degree I just worked so hard to get because I felt I needed space to breathe. I took a break from education and pivoted to the food service industry. Although it was refreshing, I didn’t feel like my impact of helping others was being met and decided to take better care of my mental well being by pursuing what I was passionate about. I took some time to process my experiences and came to the conclusion of getting involved in a nonprofit. I surfed Indeed, and saw a posting for Grant Writing for a nonprofit callled EarthChildren. I had absolutely no experience with grant writing, so I messaged the man who posted the job basically saying, “I don’t know how to grant write, but I want to be involved in what you’re doing, do you have a place for me?” They took me in, showed me the ins and outs of nonprofits, grant writing, branding, and communications. All of my past positions set me up in a way where I felt confident enough to reach out, knowing that passion and willingness to learn can make up for my lack of experience. I want people to know that if you don’t put yourself out there, you’ll never know what you could be missing out on. I am now the Public Relations Coordinator for an international nonprofit organization that supports women and children in refugee camps. Now that I found my place in a position I enjoy working in, my mental health is so much better. I feel like my time at AmeriCorps planted a seed that needed time to form into what I now know is exactly what I want to be doing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Denver is truly a tourists’ dream and I would have a packed itinerary for them. First things first, food. I love so many restaurants, but my top three to make sure anyone gets to go to would be, The Sherpa House in Golden, Root Down in LoHi, and Blue Sushi. For some drinks I enjoy the speakeasy’s all around the city the most because for me, it’s the experience. Williams and Graham that fronts as a book store is amazing, Retrograde is the perfect after dinner spot for some ice cream and a drink, and The Green Russell is the best place to order ‘bartenders choice’ for a fun drink. I am not a big shopper so instead we’ll skip over into the mountains for a hike in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. If they like a thrill, we’ll go rock climbing on the side of US Highway 6 for the most amazing views of the city and mountains both! For a road trip, I would take them to Grand Lake for a camping trip, boat riding, and cute shops. Finally, back down in the city at Conflunce Park, we would grab a drink and snack for the park and watch the sunset go down over the mountains with the river right infront of us. If we want some time seeing art of course we would go to Larimer Square farmers market to find local artists to buy from.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My story would not be what it is without the support of my family, especially my partner, Mason. The unconditional love and encouragement from them truly helped to shape who I am. I also dedicate my shoutout to my team at EarthChildren, especially Rochelle James and Rosalind Searle. They have taught me so much and mentored me into the nonprofit world with such kindness and passion. I am forever thankful for them and many others who have touched my life in such a positive way.

Instagram: rachellowtherr

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/rachel-lowther-27661b1b5

Facebook: Rachel Lowther

Other: EarthChildren PR Email- engagement@earth-children.org