Raquel has followed her lifelong interest in and love for kids.  By her Middle School years she was already a renoun babysitter in the American community of São Paulo where she grew up, and by high school she was doing volunteer work among Brazil's street children.  She went on to major in psychology at the The University of North Texas in Denton.  Graduating in May of 1998, she began working at the Bent Tree Child Development Center where she had a class of two and three year olds.  In June of '99 she started work on a Masters' Degree in Counseling with a speciality in Play Therapy.  The following year she moved to The Da Vinci School for better conditions and because it allowed her to work part time so she could spend more time on finishing her MA. For more information see her résumé.

The other love of Raquel's life is Dance.  Since she was a small child she has taken lessons and has performed in numerous productions. During college she was a member of the Denton Civic Ballet Companywhere, in addition to dancing, she has served as Assistant Artistic Director, and Coreographer.  Since graduation she continued to do coreography and has been an occasional Guest Artist.

The third love in Raquel's life (chronologically, now first in her heart) came later, but is no less intense.  During college she began dating Thomas Goranson, an arte student, and the relationship blossomed into a great love.  They were married in May, 2000 at the Dallas Arboretum.  The rehearsal was at Thomas' dad's condo in Turtle Creek.  After the wedding everyone went to Dovie's in Addison for the reception.