WE HONOR HER | Rachelle White | Houston, Texas

​I Am Woman
Tell us about Yourself
            I am a Louisiana native who has made Houston my home. At the age of 32, I was appointed Associate Municipal Court Judge with the City of Houston and Administrative Law Judge with the State of Texas. I consider myself a servant leader whose life has been immensely enriched by working with the youth as a volunteer, mentor, and board member of the Gulf Coast Organization.

When Life Gives You Lemons
How would you turn a negative situation into something positive?
My faith has sustained me through every stage of growth, development, and maturation. I also recognize that life is a journey of experiences and perspective. So, when faced with what may appear to be delays and disappointments, I I remain committed to my process and rest assured that I will come out on the other side victorious. I treat adversity as an opportunity to become more resilient. For example, during my first week of my first year of law school at Loyola University New Orleans (where I was awarded a full-tuition merit scholarship), I was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I did not allow that to defer my dream of becoming an attorney. Instead, I relocated to Columbia, South Carolina to complete my Juris Doctor degree at the University of South Carolina School of Law (as a non-resident). Fast forward exactly 12 years later, my family and I lost everything we owned because of Hurricane Harvey. I did not allow those tragedies to break my spirits; rather, it was a catalyst through which I reevaluated my personal priorities and refocused my attention on nurturing personal relationships (versus allowing the hustle and business of work and life to overshadow something so precious).

Making HERStory
What and/or Who inspired you to follow your dream?
            My childhood of having grown up in a small, rural town with very limited resources ignited a desire to pursue greater. I always felt in my heart that I was called to accomplish great things, and I quickly realized that education would be the catalyst through which my wildest dreams would come true. I recall as a young girl, my maternal grandmother emphasized the importance of an education to me. My grandmother didn't know how to write her own name because she was afforded a proper education because she was forced to labor on a sugar cane plantation along Bayou Teche; nevertheless, she raised her children and grandchildren to be fearless in life and to never allow anyone to cause us to feel inadequate. My family's impoverishment and pride empowered me.

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