Rachel Konecny

Photo of Rachel Konecny
Rachel Konecny
Study Abroad Specialist
Office: 
(269) 387-3857
Location: 
3105 Faunce Student Services, Mail Stop 5246
Mailing address: 
Study Abroad
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5246 USA
Education: 
  • M.A., Educational Leadership (Higher Education & Student Affairs), Western Michigan University, 2019
  • B.A, Anthropology, Western Michigan University, 2015
Certification: 
  • TESOL Certification, The Language House Prague, 2016
Bio: 

Rachel Konecny (she, her, hers) has been a Western Michigan University Bronco for over a decade. She graduated from WMU with a BA in English in 2015 and later earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from WMU in 2019.

During her time as a student at WMU, Rachel participated in three study abroad programs; a semester at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, a faculty-led program to Singapore and Malaysia, and a faculty-led program to Canada.

 After graduating from WMU in 2015, Rachel spent a year teaching English as a foreign language in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and a summer working at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp as an International Program Assistant before returning to WMU to complete her graduate studies.

 As a graduate student at WMU, Rachel served as in intern in the Study Abroad Office, was the Graduate Assistant for Outreach & Recruitment at the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and worked within WMU’S Center for English Language & Culture for International Students. Through these roles, she gained valuable professional experience within higher education.

Following the completion of her Masters of Arts in 2019, Rachel worked within WMU’s Haenicke Institute for Global Education as Coordinator of Immigration Records for almost three years and in the role of Interim International Admissions Counselor before beginning in the role of Study Abroad Specialist in Fall 2022.

In her personal life, Rachel remains passionate about exploring the world, traveling internationally and domestically as often as she can. She is excited about engaging with and learning from cultures around the world and believes wholeheartedly in the transformative experience of study abroad. When she is not traveling, Rachel enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and two cats who always give her a reason to look forward to coming home.