Alumni Spotlight: Rachel Gardiner
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | 11:00 AM
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Since 2019, Rachel Kathleen Gardiner has served as Executive Director of First Priority, a nonprofit dedicated to reaching students with the hope of Christ through campus-based clubs and partnerships with local churches. Over the past two years, she has helped lead growth across several counties in North Carolina by building strong church and community partnerships and empowering students to take the hope of Christ into their own generations, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
A meaningful aspect of Rachel’s work has been investing in people—developing leaders and speaking in a variety of settings, often focusing on clearly communicating the gospel to today’s students and bridging generational gaps.
Outside of nonprofit leadership, Rachel writes regularly on Substack through her newsletter, From Your Friend, Rachel, where she shares honest reflections on faith, leadership, motherhood, and everyday life. Writing has become an important way for her to process who God is and what He is teaching her.
This past year has also been especially meaningful as Rachel became a mother to her son, Emerson. Motherhood has deepened her faith and shaped how she views calling, stewardship, and leadership in every area of life.
Favorite Liberty Memory
Rachel says it’s impossible to pick just one favorite memory from her time at Liberty. Some of her most cherished moments include taking Evangelism 101 with Dr. Wheeler and realizing how simple it can be to share the gospel, hearing powerful Convocation speakers like Bob Goff and Christine Caine, and rediscovering a love for English through storytelling.
She also fondly remembers nights of beach volleyball followed by midnight milkshakes at Cookout, study dates at the library, and meeting Karen Kingsbury while working as a writer in Liberty’s marketing department.
How Liberty Prepared Her for Life After Graduation
As the first in her family to follow Jesus and attend college, Rachel entered Liberty without a clear roadmap for life after graduation. Liberty prepared her for the real world by deepening her love for Jesus and giving her a lasting sense of urgency to share the gospel wherever she goes.
Since graduating, Rachel has served in several roles, including Media Director at a local church, high school English teacher, and now Executive Director of First Priority. Through every career shift and life transition, Liberty provided a Christ-centered foundation that continues to shape how she leads, works, and lives as a wife, mother, and follower of Jesus.
Life After Liberty and God’s Impact
Rachel describes life after Liberty as an adventure marked by God’s steady presence through every season—both highs and lows. While there were moments when God felt distant, there were also times when His nearness felt unmistakable.
Leading an evangelistic nonprofit in today’s culture has brought unique challenges. For two years, Rachel and her team faced intense opposition from a satanic group that attempted to shut down their clubs and intimidate staff. Though confusing and difficult at the time, Rachel now sees how God used that season to strengthen her faith and clarify what truly matters.
Through those experiences, she was challenged to wrestle with difficult questions about sacrifice, comfort, and the worth of the gospel. Looking back, Rachel believes God continues to ask these questions until believers can confidently say that Jesus is worth everything.
Advice to Current Students and Soon-to-Be Graduates
“One piece of advice I would give is to become deeply convinced of two things at the same time: that you are fully loved by God, and that you are not the main character of the story. God made you, knows you, and delights in you, but this story has always been about Jesus. You exist because of Jesus and for Jesus. When you stop trying to build your own kingdom and start joyfully participating in His, you become a force for the Kingdom of God. You have the chance to build something that will be eternal if you remember that it is all about Jesus and He will use you in ways, both big and small, that you could only dream of.”