Eye of the Storm
Just weeks after crossing the commencement stage, Rachel Ault (MS ‘25) found herself navigating one of the most intense crises of her career.
As floodwaters surged across Texas in early July, 35-year-old Ault—now a Public Information Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard—was leading the charge to manage the national media response. With helicopters in the sky and hundreds of people being rescued from rising waters, Ault wasn’t just communicating updates. She was shaping the narrative in real time.
“It started with a text,” Ault recalled. On the Fourth of July, her phone buzzed with a simple heads-up from her boss: Coast Guard helicopters were being deployed to Texas. Within hours, she was on a conference call realizing the scale of what was unfolding. “Usually, we rescue a few people at a time. But this? This was hundreds.”
In the span of a few days, Ault’s inbox exploded. She was fielding 20–30 media requests per hour—from NPR, ABC, and The New York Times. Her team scrambled to create a structured media strategy, prioritizing national outlets, protecting emotionally fatigued rescuers, and coordinating interviews that balanced transparency with care.
And through it all, she relied on lessons from her time at Loyola’s Global Strategic Communication master’s program.
“I think the ethical communication emphasis really shaped me,” Ault said. “We were asking crew members to relive traumatic rescues. Kids were involved. Families were terrified. I had to make sure my members felt safe telling those stories—and also felt empowered to decline an interview if it became too much”
Professor David Kamerer (center) with Rachel Ault (second from right) on 蜜芽传媒Chicago’s Lakeshore Campus during May 2025 commencement, just months before Ault helped lead crisis communications for the U.S. Coast Guard during the Texas floods.
One rescue swimmer stood out. A former Wall Street finance professional, this was his first rescue. He pulled 165 people to safety—counting everyone to ensure accurate records—and did it with quiet humility. “I knew instantly,” Ault said, “this is the person the media needs to meet.”
She was right. His story resonated on nearly every major news network. But for Ault, the moment that hit hardest didn’t happen on air. It came during a media prep conversation with one of the pilots. He shared a story about a little girl who had climbed into his helicopter — she looked so small and frightened, and reminded him of his own daughters. Just before takeoff, he gave her a thumbs up. She returned it with a shy smile.
“That kind of moment reminds you why the work matters,” Ault said. “If my daughter were in this situation, that is how I would want her to be treated. Hearing the rescuers’ stories made me realize what an honor it was to communicate them out the public.”
I think the ethical communication emphasis really shaped me. I had to make sure my members felt safe telling those stories鈥攁nd also felt empowered to decline an interview if it became too much Rachel Ault, Global Strategic Communication Alumna | Class of 2025
Before grad school, Ault handled city-level communications for the Coast Guard in Chicago. Now, thanks in part to the skills sharpened at Loyola, she oversees media for the entire Gulf region—from Florida’s panhandle through Texas and up the Mississippi River. Her role is big. The stakes are bigger.
It was the kind of high-pressure environment that put everything she’d learned to the test. And while there wasn’t time for much reflection in the moment, Ault says her education at Loyola gave her a solid foundation to lead with clarity and care — especially when the pressure hit.
Rachel enjoying a moment in Spain during the Global Strategic Communication annual study abroad trip.
“There was so much volume, it was hard to process in real time,” she said. “But I could see the impact our communications were having. It made me realize how valuable that preparation was — not just technically, but in understanding how to lead ethically, especially when the stakes are high.”
But she doesn’t want the story to stop there.
“The Coast Guard does so much beyond rescues,” she said. “We handle law enforcement, environmental protection, drug interdiction. Now that the spotlight’s on us, I want to use that attention to highlight everything else we do.”
If she has advice for students eyeing a future in public service or crisis comms, it’s this: find a mission you believe in.
“Crisis communication is intense. You’re going to work long hours. You’ll be emotionally invested. The only way to stay grounded is to really believe in the story you’re telling.”
For now, Ault is settling into her new role—stationed in New Orleans for the next four years, with hurricane season looming. But if her first month on the job is any indication, the Coast Guard—and the public—are in capable hands.
“This rescue was big, and I’m glad we were able to share it,” Ault said. “But now my focus is on communicating everything else we do — the everyday missions that don’t always make headlines but still move the nation forward. And I’m proud to be part of telling that story.”
Story by Destiny Woods • Photos courtesy of Rachel Ault and Prof. David Kamerer
In the Eye of the Storm: Loyola Alumna Rachel Ault Leads Crisis Communication for the U.S. Coast Guard
“It started with a text,” Ault recalled. On the Fourth of July, her phone buzzed with a simple heads-up from her boss: Coast Guard helicopters were being deployed to Texas. Within hours, she was on a conference call realizing the scale of what was unfolding. “Usually, we rescue a few people at a time. But this? This was hundreds.”
In the span of a few days, Ault’s inbox exploded. She was fielding 20–30 media requests per hour—from NPR, ABC, and The New York Times. Her team scrambled to create a structured media strategy, prioritizing national outlets, protecting emotionally fatigued rescuers, and coordinating interviews that balanced transparency with care.
And through it all, she relied on lessons from her time at Loyola’s Global Strategic Communication master’s program.
“I think the ethical communication emphasis really shaped me,” Ault said. “We were asking crew members to relive traumatic rescues. Kids were involved. Families were terrified. I had to make sure my members felt safe telling those stories—and also felt empowered to decline an interview if it became too much”
One rescue swimmer stood out. A former Wall Street finance professional, this was his first rescue. He pulled 165 people to safety—counting everyone to ensure accurate records—and did it with quiet humility. “I knew instantly,” Ault said, “this is the person the media needs to meet.”
She was right. His story resonated on nearly every major news network. But for Ault, the moment that hit hardest didn’t happen on air. It came during a media prep conversation with one of the pilots. He shared a story about a little girl who had climbed into his helicopter — she looked so small and frightened, and reminded him of his own daughters. Just before takeoff, he gave her a thumbs up. She returned it with a shy smile.
“That kind of moment reminds you why the work matters,” Ault said. “If my daughter were in this situation, that is how I would want her to be treated. Hearing the rescuers’ stories made me realize what an honor it was to communicate them out the public.”
Before grad school, Ault handled city-level communications for the Coast Guard in Chicago. Now, thanks in part to the skills sharpened at Loyola, she oversees media for the entire Gulf region—from Florida’s panhandle through Texas and up the Mississippi River. Her role is big. The stakes are bigger.
It was the kind of high-pressure environment that put everything she’d learned to the test. And while there wasn’t time for much reflection in the moment, Ault says her education at Loyola gave her a solid foundation to lead with clarity and care — especially when the pressure hit.
“There was so much volume, it was hard to process in real time,” she said. “But I could see the impact our communications were having. It made me realize how valuable that preparation was — not just technically, but in understanding how to lead ethically, especially when the stakes are high.”
But she doesn’t want the story to stop there.
“The Coast Guard does so much beyond rescues,” she said. “We handle law enforcement, environmental protection, drug interdiction. Now that the spotlight’s on us, I want to use that attention to highlight everything else we do.”
If she has advice for students eyeing a future in public service or crisis comms, it’s this: find a mission you believe in.
“Crisis communication is intense. You’re going to work long hours. You’ll be emotionally invested. The only way to stay grounded is to really believe in the story you’re telling.”
For now, Ault is settling into her new role—stationed in New Orleans for the next four years, with hurricane season looming. But if her first month on the job is any indication, the Coast Guard—and the public—are in capable hands.
“This rescue was big, and I’m glad we were able to share it,” Ault said. “But now my focus is on communicating everything else we do — the everyday missions that don’t always make headlines but still move the nation forward. And I’m proud to be part of telling that story.”