Page 5 - CAMSTAR April 2021

CS: Where are you from originally—born and
raised?
RS: I was born and raised in California’s Silicon
Valley. I know California is known for nice weather,
but it’s still too cold for me! I am very happy to have
moved to Miami a few years ago!
What did you study at Cal and why did you
gravitate to that major?
I studied Psychology at the University of California
and graduated magna cum laude! I like to toss
that out there for the trolls who tell me to “go to
school.” I’ve always been psychologically inclined.
I am constantly thinking about why people do
what they do and how to better myself mentally
and emotionally. People can often identify their
passions by looking at activities enjoyed as a child.
Growing up, I loved playing dress up and putting
on performances in the living room for my mom. But
I also used to keep a “life advice” journal at a very
young age! The human mind and experience is
fascinating to me. I can never get bored of learning
more about it!
What did you take away from your college
experience?
My college experience was pretty unique. It was
a bit tumultuous for me as my mom was terminally
ill and ended up passing during my junior year.
However, it was also very healing. I focused my
studies on humanistic psychology which has a
depth and warmth that was soothing. I also studied
and practiced dance and yoga pretty intensely
during college. I found the combination of physical
activity and spirituality taught in yoga to be very
healing.
I also had a favorite psychology professor who I
really connected with. I was contemplating different
graduate programs at the time, and went to seek
his advice during office hours. After asking which
direction I should go, he took a long pause then
replied with, “go with whatever is the most juicy!” I
got such a kick out of it at the time.... and look at me
now! I definitely went with what was the most “juicy”
to me!