Renita Samuel is Kerr’s library aide.

Question: Can you name a few things that make you happy?

Answer: Family, great health, and exercising.

Q: What genre of music do you like?

A: I love all types of music, but my favorite… I love Jazz music. I love R&B, I love gospel, and it relaxes me. It just puts me in a great mood. I just love listening to music.

Q: What are some morals you have for yourself?

A: My number one thing in life is to always treat people the way I want to be treated.

Q: How often do you see your extended family?

A: My mother is here, my sister… I see her at least three times a week. I have an older sister and a middle sister, lives in Louisiana. I see them… every other month, because I was just down in Louisiana in October. And then I will see them in November, and then December, so maybe once a month. Family is very important to me.

Q: What is the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?

A: I don’t like to swim, but I was a mermaid swimming in an ocean. I don’t know how to swim.

Q: What is one question you’re sick of being asked?

A: A lot of people my age always ask me, “How do you maintain your weight?” In order for me to keep my weight at a certain size I want, I exercise. So, y’know, I get sick of people asking me that because the only thing you have to do is cut back on eating and exercise more.

Q: Would you say your biggest fear is more psychological than visual?

A: More psychological, because I overthink things. My biggest fear is death. I know we all have to die, we don’t know when, we don’t know how. And also my biggest fear is just not accomplishing the things I want to do in life.

Q:Would you consider yourself a sensitive person?

A: I am a sensitive person, because it’s just part of my personality. I’m sensitive to the point in where it’s doe. I’m not overly sensitive. I’m not the type of sensitive to where you say something to me, my feelings will get hurt. I’m not that type of sensitive. I am not that type of sensitive where if you say something to me, I’m gonna cry. I am sensitive to other peoples’ feelings. I’m a strong person, and I don’t like when I see other people who aren’t as strong as me- because everybody got different types of personalities- being taken advantage of. Or somebody being nasty to somebody because they’re quiet, or they’re shy. Or to children, stuff like that.

Q: What makes you most comfortable?

A: When I’m in the malls, shopping. That’s my first love. I love to shop, it relaxes me when I’m stressed out. That’s probably what I should be doing, something with fashion, ’cause that’s what I love. I love people, so the schools is good also. I like working with young people like y’all.

Q: What was the reason you were given your name?

A: My name is Renita, my maiden name is Redmen, though my married name is Samuel. All of my siblings, there’s six of us, they all have middle names. And I don’t have a middle name. So it’s like, “Where did I get my name from?” My mom was watching a Spanish soap opera, and one of the actresses was named Renita, and she loved the name. When she was pregnant with me, she was trying to think of a name, so she gave me the name Renita. All the girls, our names are R’s. Like my youngest sister Robin, my middle sister Rhonda. Now I’m Renita. My first name Renita, my last name Redmen, she couldn’t think of a middle name, so I’m just Renita Redmen. Double R.