When Rachel Schnakenberg cold-emailed sociology professors at UT Austin in fall 2023, she was already an accomplished researcher with international experience and published work. What she found was something even more valuable: a community that would help her become one of only a few Beinecke Scholars in UT history.
Excellence is in no short supply at the University of Texas at Austin. The students of UT Austin are among the best in the world, and their achievements continue to bring positive change long after walking the stage. Ergo, what starts here changes the world.
Whether you were a Longhorn from day one or became a Longhorn along the way, the resources available at UT enable greater understanding of the world’s issues, opportunities, and people. For Rachel, a transfer student, UT Sociology was a natural landing place—dedicated to the study of social structures and trends, the department prepares the next generation of leaders for further ethical and compassionate address of human cultures.
Rachel, a rising sociology senior, arrived at the Forty Acres from Lone Star College in Montgomery, Texas, with an impressive academic foundation. She was already an honors student with international internship experience, a guest presenter for select classes at Lone Star College, a national conference speaker, and an awarded and published researcher.
She understood the conviction necessary to shape her college experience, and her fondness for people ensured her final undergraduate years would be filled with new professors, mentors, and friends from all walks of life.
Finding Her Research Home
Rachel's academic passion centers on emergency responses to flood events—a particularly relevant subject for anyone familiar with Houston weather and infrastructure. This focus naturally led her to contact professors in sociology, where she connected with Dr. Javier Auyero through her strategic approach of cold emailing faculty in search of research opportunities.
“He was my very first contact here,” Rachel said. “I ended up taking one of his classes here, and now he’s my mentor on my thesis. He has really helped me shape the idea of what colleges I want to consider for my Ph.D., too.”
This is also how Rachel found the McNair Scholars office at UT. Intent on earning her Ph.D., she knew this program would be the pragmatic choice to prepare herself for the culture of postgraduate education.
When it came time to find a community, Rachel found it in the Urban Ethnography Lab at UT Austin, where she discusses sociology research with similarly interested graduate students and professors.
“They have these research brown bags. I attend every week, do all the meetings, bring critiques, that’s my space on campus,” Rachel said. “There’s really, really interesting research coming out of there, and it’s been such an honor to be included.”
The experience has broadened her perspective on academic work. “It’s easy to have an idea of what a social scientist is, but it’s been so eye-opening to see how creative people can be with their research and see how out-of-the-box and yet so important some of this work is.”
Beyond the Classroom
Perhaps her favorite item on her résumé, though, is her work on campus with the Blanton Museum of Art, where she combines her love for art with her people skills.
“I love art; one of my publications is an art paper,” Rachel said. “It has been fantastic working there. I do a lot of talking to people; I just really enjoy my job. It keeps me grounded.”
Her efforts do not stop there: Rachel also mentors high school seniors applying for college, and she shares resources to fellow transfer students looking to make the most of life on campus.
A Network of Support
In reflecting on her journey through higher education, Rachel credits an array of people who shaped her path: Dr. Auyero, who welcomed her to the Forty Acres; the professional staff at the McNair Scholars office, who showed her that postgraduate education was achievable; the ODPS professional staff, who supported her Beinecke Scholarship application; Lone Star College's Associate Vice Chancellor Dr. Kathryn Caruso, who has been a guiding hand throughout Rachel's college experience; and Dr. Fiona Ross, also at Lone Star College, who has similarly mentored Rachel for many years.
One person, however, stands out to Rachel above all others as an inspiration to continue striving for bigger and better things: her older sister.
“My sister is a social worker, the first person in the family to get a bachelor’s degree, and she’s in grad school at the University of Houston right now,” Rachel said. “She is a phenomenal woman, and I have looked up to her my entire life.”
Recognition and What's Next
Rachel's achievements culminated recently when she received the prestigious Beinecke Scholarship, which grants award money to students from select schools across the country. With these funds, recipients earn graduate degrees at far lower cost. Notably, Only one scholar was selected from UT this year, making the competition extremely competitive. Rachel became one of only a few Beinecke Scholars in program history to represent the University of Texas.
She is also currently engaging in research with the McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute in support of her thesis work, preparing for the next phase of her academic journey.
Looking back on her college experience, Rachel offered this reflection: "A lot of what I've gained in college has been people—relationships with people, mentorships with people, just people who know more than I do. I have definitely gained a lot of skills that can transfer to anything, and I see that carrying me forward no matter where I go. I think everybody needs those skills; that's what college is for."
Her story exemplifies how strategic networking, combined with genuine passion for learning and helping others, can transform a college experience—and lay the foundation for future success.