Rachel Simmons Named 2017 Freshman Leader in Residence at Chatham Hall

Rachel Simmons is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence. As an educator, Ms. Simmons works internationally to empower young women to be more authentic, assertive and self-aware. Ms. Simmons is a Vassar  graduate and Rhodes Scholar from New York. The cofounder of Girls Leadership, she is an experienced curriculum writer and educator. She currently develops leadership programs for undergraduates at the Wurtele Center for Work and Life at Smith College, and is the Girls Research Scholar in Residence at the Hewitt School in New York.

She has previously worked as a classroom teacher in Massachusetts and South Africa. Ms. Simmons was the host of the PBS television special, “A Girl’s Life,” and her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Slate, and The New York Times.

Ms. Simmons serves on the board of the College Women’s Leadership Educators affiliate of the American Association of University Women, and is on the Council of Advisors for the Wellesley Centers for Women. Ms. Simmons has appeared on Oprah and is a regular contributor to Good Morning America and Time. Odd Girl Out was adapted into a highly acclaimed Lifetime television movie. Rachel lives in western Massachusetts with her daughter.