Charissa was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated in 2023 from Western Washington University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Sport Psychology. Her degree and previous experience as a gymnast and coach sparked her desire to further explore the psychological components of performance through which she can help athletes and exercisers optimize performance. Charissa is now pursuing an M.S. in Kinesiology: Sport and Exercise Psychology option and plans to continue her education after finishing the program by pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical or counseling psychology to become a licensed clinical sport psychologist.