Rachel Bessette

• School of International Affairs

• B.S. IAML 2009

Rachel Bessette is the senior lead analyst at Chick-fil-A Corporate. Previously, she served as program analyst for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she led and contributed to evaluations covering a wide range of Medicare issues, including evaluation and management services, electronic health records, home health services, and improper payments associated with deceased beneficiaries and physicians.

How did Tech and the Nunn School help you get where you are?

I learned so much during my four years at Georgia Tech that has helped me get to where I am today. My international affairs coursework provided me with really important research, writing, and critical thinking skills, which were invaluable in graduate school and are essential for my current job as an analyst in the federal government. I also gained some experience with statistical programming while at Georgia Tech, which I further developed in graduate school and now use to analyze data when conducting evaluations.

What advice you would give current students at Tech as well as the Sam Nunn School specifically?

Take advantage of every opportunity! There are so many educational and professional development opportunities and internships available for students at Georgia Tech. I definitely recommend building a strong professional network and gaining as much work experience as you can while you’re a student. 

What is something that you got from studying International Affairs and Modern Languages at Tech?

I studied abroad twice while at Georgia Tech, and those experiences really provided me with a new and different perspective. I really enjoyed studying international affairs in the classroom but actually living and taking classes abroad was a whole new experience. It was amazing being immersed in a different culture, learning about international affairs in a foreign language, and meeting people from all over the world.