Interviewer: What is your name?
Rachel: Rachel Schollmeier
Interviewer: What is your position at CSA?
Rachel: I am an Assistant Editor.
Interviewer: What does that position entail?
Rachel: Basically, I do editing, copyediting, proofreading, and fact-checking. I also handle some administrative tasks like receiving invoices, getting employees set up with the computer programs they need, and solving some technical issues when they come up.
Interviewer: How did you become a part of CSA?
Rachel: I moved to Chicago after graduating from college and through networking, applying, and looking around for different jobs, I found the editorial internship available at CSA Education at the time and applied for that. After a few months of the internship, I got offered the job of full-time Assistant Editor.
Interviewer: What is the best part of your job?
Rachel: I would say the people. Everyone is always helpful and approachable. From day one, I have always felt comfortable enough to ask questions and go to people for help. Everyone is so kind, patient, and collaborative. There is so much support and guidance. Anytime I need help, there is always someone there. Starting out, I didn’t have professional editing experience, and everyone just made it really easy to get into the industry and learn the ropes.
Interviewer: What do you wish people knew about your work at CSA?
Rachel: I think the main thing is, I wear a lot of different hats. I really enjoy ELA editing, but I also enjoy the diversity of all the different tasks I do. Writing, editing, admin–I have learned so much since I started here. Every day is different, and even if I am working on a long-term project, as new requests from clients come in, there is always something additional to learn, so it feels very rewarding.
Interviewer: What do you wish schools focused on more in terms of education and why?
Rachel: Mental health. I think mental health is just as important as physical health and it has been stigmatized. This makes it harder for people—especially young kids and high schoolers—to have open dialogues about it. I believe teachers can incorporate mental health lessons into their curriculum, especially in health class, where you can educate students on mental health signs and symptoms. Mental health can also be incorporated into ELA and Social Studies classes by looking at and discussing potential mental health issues of certain characters and historical figures. I feel having honest discussions about mental health would really benefit students. In my opinion, practices of mindfulness and relaxation exercises in P.E. would also help students a lot. It would decrease the stigma and the students would have overall better social and emotional health.
Interviewer: What are three interesting facts about you?
Rachel: First, I love to travel and so far, I have been to four different countries including Mexico, Ireland, France, and Spain. Second, I am training for a half-marathon. This will be the longest race I have ever done. Eventually, I would love to run the Chicago full marathon. Third, I love listening to music, especially on runs. It’s very relaxing and I love discovering new artists. My favorite artist is Taylor Swift and The Folklore album she came out with this year was fantastic. I am really looking forward to live music again.
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