Rachel McBride was born in Cuenca, Ecuador. She entered Abilene Christian University in August 1997 and graduated with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies in May 2001. Rachel was awarded the Servant Leader Spirit Award as a senior; while at Abilene Christian University, she also was a member of the honor society Kappa Omicron Nu, and active in the Freshman Action Council.
Following graduation at Abilene Christian University, she began her graduate studies at Texas Tech University in Lubbock in the fall of 2001. These studies were in the area of Human Development and Family Studies. After determining that the Texas Tech program tended to be more technically based rather than application based, Rachel transferred to the graduate program at The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.
She completed her Master of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Intervention in December 2003.
Rachel was given an award for her master’s thesis recognizing outstanding research and scholarship. Her master’s thesis topic was, “Ecuadorian children: An investigation into the effects frequenting the street has on children of Cuenca, Ecuador.”
In March 2002, she began working at the Infant and Toddler Intervention Program of North Texas, a state and private, non-profit agency designed to work with children who are developmentally delayed. Rachel worked for this agency full time for a year and then part-time and contract for another year.
For three summers, Rachel was an assistant teacher at A Child’s Garden Montessori School in Carrollton, Texas and was a substitute teacher for its sister school, Forest Lane Montessori.
During the 2004-2005 school year, Rachel began her role as a Diversity Scholar, which is a teaching lecturer position. She taught two undergraduate classes in her program area each semester. The position was designed to bring diversity to the teaching program of the university utilizing individuals from other cultures and ethnic groups. It functions to prepare doctoral students in the College of Education for academic careers in higher education. Rachel also was awarded the Bessie P. Cowan Scholarship for 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 in the College of Education.
Rachel completed her doctorate degree at The University of North Texas in Early Childhood Education in May of 2008. Her doctorate dissertation topic was, “Incarcerated mothers in Cuenca, Ecuador: perceptions of their environment and the impact it has on the lives of their young children and their education.”
Rachel worked in Cuenca, Ecuador, full-time in 2009 as a consultant and project coordinator. She currently resides near Austin, Texas, with her husband, Vinicio Montesdeoca, while he pursues a Master degree in Theology. Together, they have made several trips to Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and various cities in Texas to facilitate workshops, host groups of teens on mission trips, and much more.