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At its headquarters in Washington, U.S. Department of State employees deal with an immense number of complex issues impacting the globe – from humanitarian aid to refugees to human rights concerns to cyber security. Their work spans religious freedom, dual citizenship, energy issues, U.S. diplomats abroad, counterterrorism, and much more.
Behind the scenes, Mississippi College graduate Rachel Carter is doing splendid work at the State Department to serve her country as a foreign affairs officer.
With the State Department’s Bureau of Military-Political Affairs the past four years after successful stints at the U.S. Department of Energy and as a staffer to U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, Carter will soon be in the spotlight at her alma mater. She will be honored this fall as MC’s Young Alumna of the Year.
It’s quite a nice tribute to the talented 2003 communication graduate. Rachel will be saluted at the Christian university’s 2016 Homecoming Awards Dinner on the Clinton campus October 14.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but growing up in the East Texas town of Henderson, Carter accomplished a great deal as a Mississippi College undergraduate and over her career. She’s done much to continue to pay back her alma mater as a key player in the Communication Department’s new media internship program in Washington.
Communication Department Chairman Cliff Fortenberry gives Rachel much of the credit for facilitating and helping fund the internships.
“As a result of her influence, many doors have been opened to Mississippi College students,” Fortenberry said. “As a DC insider, Carter made it possible to meet many decision makers in order to establish links, maintain relationships, and provide opportunities which are unique to our communication students.”
“It’s certainly admirable that young graduates like Rachel stay involved to give a helping hand to MC students,” Fortenberry said.
MC communication professor Reid Vance, who oversees the Washington internship program, pours on the praise.
“The MC Communication Department has no more enthusiastic supporter that Rachel Carter,” Vance said. As a strong supporter of the internship program, he said, Rachel “sees big picture possibilities for our students and works to make them real.”
Whether she’s working in Washington or on assignment around the globe, “Rachel is an outstanding representative for our university,” Vance said.
Carter does travel far from home at times. She recently returned from six months at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. She worked overseas as a political officer to advance the U.S.-India defense relationship.
Her hard work in Mississippi College classes and involvement in key activities on the Clinton campus made her well-equipped with skills to succeed. Carter’s interest in the Laguna social tribe was sparked by her grandmother’s role in the creation of the group. She worked at WHJT, the school’s Christian radio station now better known as STAR 93.5. Carter handled sales and on-air assignments at the station in the Aven Hall basement.
“MC introduced me to lifelong friends and provided enriching academic experiences that gave me a solid footing as I started my career,” Carter said.
Becoming a huge fan of the Blue & Gold seemed to be part of the family DNA. During freshman orientation, Rachel received an award for having the most relatives who either attended or graduated from Mississippi College. She counts at least a dozen MC Choctaw family members.
MC instantly felt like home. “When I walked through the Courtyard or past Jennings Hall, I imagined the scene as viewed by my grandmother when she was there in the 1950s,” Carter said. “It was meaningful for me to walk where she had walked.” Her grandparents brought Rachel to an MC Preview Day as a high school student, and she quickly discovered her college choice.
As Mississippi College celebrates its 190th anniversary, with 5,133 students enrolled this fall, America’s second oldest Baptist college will always remain a special place for Rachel Carter. “The Blue & Gold carries a unique bond over miles and years.”
At MC, she was named to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. Carter was selected Communication Department Alumnus of the Year in 2013.
With wonderful communication professors like Fortenberry and the late Billy Lytal along with Susan Lassiter in the English Department, Rachel Carter loved the MC experience. As a student, she cherished the reinforcement of pursuing “enduring values intrinsic to a Christian university – integrity, perseverance, service and humility.”
For more information on MC Homecoming events, contact Lori Bobo of the Alumni Affairs Office at 601-925-3252 or lbobo@mc.edu
Photo: Rachel Carter
