Naomi Le ‘23 splits her time between the classroom and the ballet studio
Psychology major Naomi Le ‘23 has a more interesting job than most students–she dances for the professional ballet company New Ballet in downtown San Jose, where she has been a Company Artist and teacher for five years. She balances ballet with her studies, rehearsing and teaching after attending class lectures. Naomi is currently in rehearsals for her roles of Thumbelina and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and has been in such classics as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. She also loves to dance in unique ballets like Cinderella and La Boutique Fantastique. One of her favorite shows to prepare for is Fast Forward, a program comprising completely new works from choreographers from all over the Bay Area and across the U.S.
While Naomi will continue to dance after graduation, she is also planning a career that applies her psychology knowledge and skills, and she hopes to pursue a degree in I/O Psychology down the road. In her own words “The things I have learned in my psychology classes-- especially Professor Lisa Whitfield’s Cognitive Psychology Class-- have helped me see myself and others in a more dynamic way. I love learning how people process emotions and perceive things and how this influences how we might function in society. Eventually, I hope to use this knowledge to work in human resources to help develop or maintain healthy workspaces.”