Research Writer Interview With Rachel

Currently, I am living in Galway, Ireland with my husband and our Jack Russell Terrier, Lucy. After getting married two years ago we decided to remain in Ireland but maintain close contact with my family in New York, as evidenced by my ever-strong American accent. My days are mostly filled with freelance writing jobs, chasing a hyper Jack Russell around the house, and getting some exercise in through running, yoga, or just having a dance party to some nineties boy-band music.

My academic background is somewhat varied but focused within the humanities. I have always followed my interests and, therefore, have been fortunate enough to always have a passion for what I am doing. I attended Canisius College, a small Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York. There, I completed a triple major in History, Political Science, and European Studies, as well as Area Studies courses (required for a degree from the institution) in philosophy, theology, psychology, natural science, literature, and mathematics. In my junior year of college, I received the opportunity to study abroad in Galway, Ireland, where I was able to study the politics and history of the country. This inspired my love for both the place and a new subject matter: medieval history. Upon graduating from Canisius College, I chose to return to the National University of Ireland, Galway and embark on a two year degree in Medieval Studies. Throughout the degree, I took intensive courses in Latin, linguistics, medieval languages, history, and literature. Fortunately, this allowed me to become a well-rounded and passionate researcher and writer; unfortunately, I was quickly disillusioned by the prospect of a career within academia. After choosing not to pursue a doctorate, I took a year off and returned to New York State to work. In this year, I decided to pursue another Masters in Literature in Publishing, flew back to Ireland, and immediately began classes in marketing, proofreading, law and other publishing-related courses.

As evidenced above, I have a plethora of interests and was increasingly drawn to freelancing because it allowed me to explore a wide-variety of subjects. After graduating, I was lucky enough to receive a final interview with a large publishing company in Ireland. It was then that my husband and I decided that instead of following the traditional publishing career path, I would continue to build a freelance career. As my husband works nights and I have aging parents four-thousand miles away, being able to choose where I work and having flexible hours is important to us.

My academic background in the humanities allowed me to gain knowledge of a range of topics. Additionally, through both of my Masters degrees I was able to fine-tune my approach to academic writing and research and become knowledgeable of the sources and databases available for academic research. Additionally, my background in editing and proofreading allows for papers that are virtually absent of grammatical errors. Most importantly, I believe that it is my thirst for knowledge and range of interests that have made me an excellent research writer. Every new topic that I am presented with allows me to explore something new, and that continues to make academic writing exciting for me.