Rachel Miller

My background is a bit of an odd mix: writing, medicine, science, information technology. I put myself through college as a phlebotomist and medical records clerk, and for a while was a pre-med major. This is how I wound up with a BA in English and a minor in chemistry. I came to DC right after college and asked a recruiter to find me a job that had something to do with writing and something to do with science. She said, "Yeah, sure, I'll find you an admin-assist job." The next day she called to see if I could go to NASA headquarters for an interview. Well, yes. That started my technical writing career. While working there the woman in the office who wrangled the massive, convoluted database for all of the scientific investigations funded through NASA Life Sciences and Microgravity got her dream job at the National Science Foundation. In a building full of scientists the tech writer was the clear choice to take over the database. So, that's what I did. From there I learned the difference between a switch and a patch panel, how to show Word who is in charge, and how to manage thirty proposals in a year without any need for hospitalization. I think I've gotten to do all the things that I've done in my career because I want to know how everything works and I've been lucky enough to have worked with brilliant people who were willing to teach me. I hope that never ends....