Rachel Slay is a driven, enthusiastic journalist with a great love for sports, pizza and removing Oxford commas. She is a freshman at the University of Florida where she is earning a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, with a specialization in Sports and Media. In her first semester at UF, she earned a staff writer position at The Independent Florida Alligator, the largest student-run publication in the country. She had several stories make page one during her first semester, one of which was picked up and retweeted by UF President Kent Fuchs. Since then, she has migrated to the sports section where she covers softball.
Her passion for journalism began as a kid, watching football with her mom and dad. It blossomed when she entered high school and started writing for her school’s publication. She’d later become editor-in-chief of the publication and reach over 2,000 students, faculty and staff. She is well-versed in social media engagement, search engine optimization and AP Style. The Tampa native is confident, competitive and loves a good laugh. Outside of reporting, she loves to sing, lift weights and spend time with friends and family. She also dabbles in photography.