Interview with Sacramento's Own Dr. Ray Harris

Today’s conversation bridges academics, athletics, and personal growth. Our guest recently completed their doctorate and brings a powerful story rooted right here at Los Rios, where they once competed as a student-athlete in the early 2000s before transferring to Western Illinois to finish their undergraduate degree.

As an athlete, they learned how to compete, endure, and push physical limits—but it wasn’t until a professor challenged them that they discovered how to push themselves intellectually. That moment now defines their teaching philosophy: helping students understand that academic excellence requires the same discipline, intentional practice, and mindset as athletics—not for grades, but for true mastery.

We’ll also touch on the athlete experience today, including the journey of Ray Harris Jr., a sophomore guard formerly with University of the Pacific, whose path through college basketball was shaped by performance, redshirting, health challenges, and resilience.

This is a conversation about growth, identity, and what it really means to level up—on and off the court. Let’s get into it.