Rachel Rigoli

Counties:

• Australia
• Indonesia
• China
• Japan
• Taiwan
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• South Pacific
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Majors:

• Biology
• Japanese Studies

College:

• Muir

Studying abroad for a year at the University of Melbourne in Australia through the UC Education Abroad Program, was the start of many years of living abroad and traveling for Rachel.

After graduating from UC Irvine, her interest in living abroad led her to Taiwan to study Chinese and to teach English. With enough money in her pocket after teaching for a year, she spent a year backpacking around Asia, East Africa and parts of the Middle East before returning to the U.S. to complete her graduate studies at The George Washington University. 

A fellowship from graduate school led her back to Taiwan for further studies and to work for The Asia Foundation.  But California was calling and Rachel returned to the U.S.  to work at UCLA where she got a job in the study abroad office. 

After four years at UCLA, she took a few years off to stay at home with her son and daughter and resumed her career in international education at UC San Diego’s Programs Abroad Office.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and her dog Anya (an ex-racing whippet) and of course, still enjoys traveling. Rachel’s advice to those thinking about studying abroad would be, do it now, this is your chance and it will definitely be the best thing you do during college.