Follow Rebecca's Journey from Illinois to Nashville

Rebecca grew up on a grain farm in Southern Illinois, the youngest of five children. Life on the farm gave her both independence and confidence early on. She was active in sports, participating in track and tennis, where friends nicknamed her “Lefty Becca” for her powerful backhand. Even then, she had a natural ability to lead and bring people together — once organizing a grassroots teen initiative called TREND (“Turning Recreational Excitement into New Directions”) focused on keeping kids engaged in positive activities and away from drugs.

She attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Agriculture with a minor in Biology. During college, she developed a fascination with plant genetics and agricultural science, while also discovering an unexpected talent: welding. In fact, she was considered one of the top welders in her agricultural class — choosing welding over electricity because she had grown up watching her father repair farm equipment.

While at U of I, she met Dan, and together they built a life in Salem, Illinois, where they raised their five children. Family life centered around the outdoors: camping trips, hiking adventures, biking, sports, and a very busy household. As Dan’s career required frequent travel, the family eventually relocated to the Nashville area and settled in Brentwood to be closer to a major airport.

With five children and a husband often on the road, homeschooling became a natural fit. Rebecca managed the household, coordinated her children’s education, and spent hours driving to soccer practices, swim meets, and ball games. Today, four of their five children have graduated from college and are working professionally, with most living nearby. Their youngest, a sophomore at MTSU, is currently studying abroad in New Zealand — a place Rebecca and Dan visited themselves shortly after her portrait session.

Five years ago Rebecca’s aging parents moved in with her family, where she became part of their caregiving support system. That season of life unexpectedly led her into the career she has today.

While helping her parents navigate Medicare and health insurance decisions, Rebecca realized how confusing and overwhelming the system could be for many families. With her background in education and research, she discovered she had a gift for translating complicated information into something people could actually understand. Once her youngest child was nearing adulthood, she began building a career focused on helping others confidently navigate Medicare and health insurance options.

Today, Rebecca works as an independent insurance broker specializing in Medicare and health insurance planning. She especially enjoys helping people approaching retirement understand their options and feel confident in the decisions they are making. Because policies and regulations change constantly, she is committed to staying current so she can continue serving clients with clarity, honesty, and compassion.

Rebecca and Dan now enjoy a slightly quieter season of life with their dog, cat, and classic Corvette. Together they participate in a local Cars and Coffee group, enjoy traveling, visiting wineries, spending time with family and friends, and frequent visits back home to Southern Illinois.

I so enjoyed meeting Rebecca and learning more about her story. We had so much fun collaborating on branding portraits for her website and social media, and I loved capturing this season of life and work for her.

While this 40 Over 40 project is coming to a close, if you need new headshot and branding images for your website, socials, speaking engagements, writer bios and more, I would love to collaborate on fresh on brand images for YOU too!

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40 Over 40: Spotlight on Rebecca

Follow Rebecca's Journey from Illinois to Nashville

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