Rachel Boisen has served at the TAP Coordinator since October, 2014, and became Trinity’s Administrative Assistant a year later. The Personnel team sent Lori Bekker to sit down with Rachel and learn about her life.
The moment Rachel opened the front door at Trinity House, I immediately felt her warmth. It’s obvious that she is a wonderful person to represent Trinity to the neighborhood and greater community. Our time together was easy and I left realizing how fortunate we are to have her in two very important roles at the church.
For the most part, Rachel grew up in Tacoma, the second oldest of 3 sisters. In 2009, she graduated from Mount Tahoma High School with the Acheiver’s Scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Awarded to low-income, high potential students from diverse backgrounds, this scholarship allowed Rachel to attend Seattle Pacific University, where she studied Journalism and Sociology.
A few months later, Rachel joined Trinity as the TAP Coordinator. She loves the opportunity to work with the kids every day, building relationships with her students and their families. When it became apparent that Trinity needed a part time Administrative Assistant, Rachel was the natural choice. It is obvious that she is an excellent fit for the role. Rachel lit up when she talked about the people she had gotten to know through the Front Door ministry. She tends to carry the sorrows of the stories she hears, but the relationships she builds with the “regulars” can be so life giving.
Outside of her time at Trinity, Rachel finds joy in photography, reading, walking the trails at Pt. Defiance, and spending time with extended family in the area. She also loves to travel, and spent her summer 2015 in Fiji, serving at a community center and visiting some of the outer islands. Click here to read about people she met, things she did, and stuff she learned while serving abroad. Over the next five years, Rachel hopes to visit more places, get a masters degree, and become involved with the foster care system.
How can you support Rachel in her role? First, she is always looking for more TAP tutors. Anyone with a spare hour who knows how to read ought to give her a call. Second, give to the Front Door Ministry. Tuesday mornings, she easily gives away 25 bus tickets in less than 10 minutes, often sending people away empty handed. Additionally, the good weather has created renewed interest in the bike program. Unfortunately, we have limited funds for helmets, leaving our bike recipients in danger of head injuries and traffic fines.
I enjoyed my time getting to know Rachel. If you haven’t met her yet, stop by Trinity House and say hello! She is another person we are so fortunate to have on staff at Trinity.