Rachel Marie Brooks

Educate

   Motivate

        Advocate

An accomplished speaker, Rachel Marie Brooks has inspired thousands as a keynote, seminar, and workshop speaker. Speaking engagements of note include keynote speeches for The Employability Expo, Esther Magazine’s Teenage Girls of Faith Conferences, and The Transition Academy. She has provided training to teachers, lectured to college students, and appeared on television, radio and in print media including Good Day Philadelphia on FOX 29, Central Pennsylvania Living Magazine, WABE News Talk radio,  and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Rachel was featured on The Learning Chanel’s (TLC’s) series Miss America Reality Check. She has also been a co-host for the “Girls, We Need to Talk” television program, which addresses issues relevant to urban young women in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Educate

A Summa Cum Laude graduate of West Chester University’s honors college,  Rachel holds a BS in economics with a minor in accounting. Her commitment to life long learning lead her to the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels School of Government where she is pursuing a masters degree in government administration. Hundreds of students have been impacted with her message on the importance of education. Drawing from her own experiences and successes, Rachel motivates K-12 and college audiences to achieve their highest academic potential. Sample seminar topics include:

·       A++: Reaching Your Highest Academic Potential

·       Education University: Cultivating a commitment to life long learning / The importance of post secondary education.

·       University City: Preparing for campus life both in and outside the classroom

Motivate

In June of 2007 Rachel Marie Brooks was crowned Miss Pennsylvania and went on to represent the Keystone State in the Miss America Pageant. The many challenges which characterize her journey to becoming Miss Pennsylvania serve to underscore her motivational message. She inspires audiences of all ages to dream big and never give up on their dreams. During this interactive presentation Rachel takes here audience through goal setting exercises then provides a set of tools to aid them in accomplishing their goals.

Though her message is universal, Rachel specializes in motivating and inspiring young women. Her pursuits in the world of pageantry caused her to deal with her own self-image and as a result, she is uniquely positioned to help others build a positive self image. By encouraging them with the message “Be your best self”, Rachel helps young women to celebrate their strengths, work on their weaknesses, and cast aside the unrealistic expectations of others.

Advocate

Inspired by the diagnosis of her brother Brandon, Rachel is active throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania increasing awareness about the disorder through media and community appearances. Her advocacy work has taken her to the nation’s capital and Pennsylvania’s state capital, where she testified before the Senate Insurance and Banking Committee as a proponent of the autism insurance legislation House Bill 1150. HB 1150 is now Act 62 of 2008 having been signed into law by Governor Rendell in July. In addition to providing general information about autism, Rachel speaks specifically on issues pertinent to siblings of individuals with autism. She helps other siblings and parents to deal with the special dynamics experienced by families comprised of children with and children without autism.