PSYC Alumn Rachel Goldman on "When Life Happens"

Before Rachel Goldman met Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mel Robbins and the like, she was the college-bound daughter of two New Yorkers living in Leonardtown, Maryland, swearing that she would never follow in the footsteps of her mom by majoring in psychology; they were already similar enough.

However, after spending her freshman year at Goucher College studying dance science—and seeing firsthand a phenomenon she had never witnessed as a competitive dancer in her hometown—Goldman could no longer deny her calling. 

“Until I went to a predominantly dance school, I did not observe disordered eating behaviors. I remember calling my mom and saying ‘This is odd. I don’t really understand what’s going on, but I want to know what’s causing this. I want to understand the mind-body connection,’” she said.

Goldman’s fascination with the mind-body connection—which she has since turned into an impressive, nationally recognized career—was first nurtured at the University of Maryland, where she decided to transfer for her sophomore year after hearing about her hometown friends’ experiences at their larger universities.

See the full story on the BSOS Website.

Published on Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:55