When Rachel Moser chose to double major in child studies and cognitive studies at Peabody, she didnāt yet see the path of service that would unfurl before her, but she felt confident she was moving in the right direction.
“It just kind of hit me, āIf you feel so passionately about this, why wait?ā”
āRachel Moser
She was right. After Peabody, Moser returned to her home in New York City and enrolled at New York University to pursue a masterās degree in social work. During that time, she spent a summer working at a one-room school in Tanzania.
āThere were about 35 children, ages 2 to 7, who came without pencils and paper, sometimes without shoes,ā she said, ābut they always had an uplifting and positive attitude. Seeing the juxtaposition of poverty with a love of learning and sheer happinessāit really affected me.ā
After she finished her masterās and earned her clinical license to practice social work, Moser began her search for a job.
āI always thought when I was older I would start some kind of organization to help people, and then it just kind of hit me, āIf you feel so passionately about this, why wait?āā
Moser created , a volunteer-run nonprofit organization devoted to empowering people by providing educational resources to impoverished regions of the world. Her fundraising efforts have paid off in remarkable ways. A social media partnership with Cultivate Wines raised $10,600 for The Uplifting project in just a few weeks.
āWith social media, the world is smaller, everything is more tangible,ā Moser said. āThanks to our generous partners, The Uplifting Project is helping to build self-sustaining schools that are run by local people.ā
Moser also works full time at a nonprofit youth center in the south Bronx. She serves at-risk 16- to 24-year-olds in need of mentorship, educational services and employment guidance.
āI have been able to put into action what I have learned and experienced, and as a result, my life has been very rewarding and fulfilling,ā she said. āIām fortunate that Iāve found my purpose, and that Iāve had such supportive friends and family along the way.ā
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