Discovering Rachel is not an official site of the Gilman Scholarship, Fulbright Program, or the U.S. Department of State. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of the writers of Discovering Rachel and do not represent the views of the Gilman Scholarship, Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations.
Rachel Wong graduated from Macalester College with a degree in International Studies. She swears by Marie Kondo’s tidying method, loves trying adventurous foods, and has an irrational fear of falling. In half a century, Rachel hopes to live in a small town and run a cute restaurant during her retirement.
Rachel is a 2021 Rangel Graduate Fellow and was the recipient of the 2019-20 Fulbright Fellowship in Taiwan and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for Fall 2017, where she studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea. Read about her time in Taiwan here and her semester in Seoul here.
Q & A
Why did you decide to start this blog?
This blog originally started off as a diary-like outlet for my family overseas to read about the start of my college life back in August of 2015. Gradually, it became a place for self-reflection and, as the blog title says, discovery. I don’t have a set “destination” for this blog, but this blog will change (along with me). As I grow and develop as an individual, I see this blog evolving and developing with me every step of the way.
I’m also hoping to fill the void of female Asian American bloggers who share their struggles and experiences. I want to create a community of people who are engaged in their communities and willing to bridge the gap of minority representation. I’m all about supporting fellow Asian Americans, and I’m excited to see where this community will go next.
What do you use to take your photos?
I use Sony Alpha 5000 to take high-quality, high-resolution photos. For other photos, I just use my cell phone, which is an iPhone 8 Plus.