• Rachael DicksonPatch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Burke, VA

Curious about how to use Burke Patch? Check out this article, "13 Things You Need to Know About Burke Patch"

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Note: Rachael ended her tenure at Burke Patch on July 1, 2011. Burke Patch is being managed by Associate Regional Editor Mary Ann Barton (maryann.barton@patch.com) until our new Burke Editor starts July 11.

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Email: Rachael&#64;patch.com<br>Phone: 571-268-6650<br>Hometown: Dallas, Texas<br>Birthday: January 11, 1988

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Rachael Dickson has lived and worked in Northern Virginia since 2006. While earning her degree at George Mason University, she interned for WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive&#39;s LoudounExtra.com, covered the Virginia youth vote in the 2008 Presidential Election for UWire.com, and worked for local newspapers in London, North Texas and Manassas. She&#39;s had her work published on cbsnews.com, foxnews.com and upi.com as well. In a funny happenstance, photos she took at a McCain/Palin rally in 2008 were published in a Japanese newsmagazine, used on the cover of a book on political rhetoric and can be found on John McCain&#39;s Wikipedia page (she didn&#39;t put it there).

Throughout her time at Mason, she worked extensively in Mason&#39;s Student Media Office, where she conceived and produced a magazine called &#34;Mason Nation: Four Years After Final Four,&#34; a 2010 Associated College Press Pacemaker Finalist for Feature Magazine, among other things. Dickson was named one of the top 100 student journalists in the country by UWire in 2009.

She lives in Burke with three close friends and three pet rats named Monty, Rosencrantz and Splinter.

<b>Beliefs</b>:<br><br><i>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for our editors to inject their beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will cause us to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.</i><br><br><b>Politics:</b>

I am a moderate on most issues. I tend to be more conservative economically and liberal socially, but my beliefs are too mixed up to line up with any one party. I am a staunch advocate for the free speech and free press rights of students and the full civil liberties of those in the LGBTQ community.<br><br><b>Religion</b>:

I was baptized and raised Lutheran in a church I adore back in my hometown of Dallas. I was very active as a youth in church activities, singing in the choir, playing harp at services, going on mission trips, and working as a counselor at confirmation camps. I was fairly active with Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University as well. I currently attend a Lutheran church in Springfield. I also try to live out my faith by actively working to help others around me: by volunteering, doing a good deed every day, and smiling a lot.

<b>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</b>

The economy is, of course, one of the top issues in Burke currently. In this area, I would also consider schools, pedestrian safety and transportation big issues.

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Bites Nearby: Friendly's