Rachel Macklin is from Tupelo, Mississippi. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Mississippi in biology and health promotion, respectively. Rachel volunteered with Birthing Project USA, an organization for improving birth outcomes, then joined the Peace Corps in 2013. Rachel completed her Peace Corps service in rural Zambia, focusing on maternal and child health, HIV, and malaria. She subsequently worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Lusaka, Zambia as the coordinator for the Quality Improvement through Data Use and Saving Mothers, Giving Life programs. She also worked on the DREAMS initiative, which focuses on reducing HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys traveling and spending time with family.