Rachel Boucher is applying to Rivier University's Master of Education in School Counseling program. She has a passion for helping and inspiring children, which led her to shave her head and raise $11,000 for childhood cancer research. This experience solidified her desire to work in a field that benefits children. She has since worked as a nanny and with children with autism. Her undergraduate coursework in sociology and education also prepared her for a career in school counseling. She wants to attend Rivier specifically because her mother had a positive experience there and she hopes to have the same intellectual and personal growth through their program. Her goal is to find a career that allows her to continue making a difference in

1. Rachel Boucher
M.Ed. School Counseling
Statement of Purpose
______________________________________________________________________________
“Bad Hair Day Turned Fundraiser for Childhood Cancer Research” was the title of the article the
St. Baldrick’s Foundation wrote about me. I knew I always wanted to inspire a child, make a
difference, and change the world. On January 18th, 2013, I accomplished all of the above by
shaving my head for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in honor of children suffering from cancer and
raising $11,000. This significant moment in my life solidified the aspiration I had of wanting to
work in an environment that benefits children. That was the beginning of my life’s journey to
make a difference. By accepting me into Rivier University’s Master of Education in School
Counseling program, I can learn the skill-sets needed to continue this journey.
After working as a nanny for several families throughout my undergraduate career as well as
working closely with children with autism spectrum disorder, I knew my passion lay in the field
of education and that I was meant to dedicate my career to bettering children's lives and those
around them.
As a Sociology major at the University of Tampa, I took several classes that helped guide me
toward pursuing my M.Ed. at Rivier University including Sociology of the Family, Foundations
of American Education, Clinical and Counseling Sociology, and Social Psychology. My
undergraduate courses were a vital platform that helped me prepare for the skill-sets needed to
enter in to this next chapter of graduate school.
I not only want a master’s degree in School Counseling, I want it specifically from Rivier
University. My mom is an alumna of Rivier where she received her Master of Education 16 years
ago. She has spoken so highly of the professors, course work, and program that I know I want to
follow in her footsteps. I too, want to experience the intellectual inquiry and dialogue that Rivier
offers. Like my mom, I also want the opportunity to develop intellectually, socially, culturally,
morally and spiritually with the Rivier community. If I am so fortunate, I am sure my
experiences at Rivier will best prepare me for the life and career that awaits me.
They say you’ll never work a day in your life if you love what you do. I am pursuing this
opportunity of a Master of Education in School Counseling at Rivier University so that I can be
blessed with the opportunity to have a career that will allow me to continue to inspire children,
make a difference in the lives of others, and improve the world. Just as part of Rivier
University's mission is to "transform hearts and minds to serve the world", so too is mine.