Some contestants on Survivor are born to be in the series. Take a look at the season 43 contender, Jesse Lopez. Being in a gang as a teenager, he learned how to think on his toes and read a room, and later, for his Ph.D., the guy basically spent six years studying how people vote.
Take a deeper look at his life as you scroll below.
Jesse Lopez On Survivor 43
Jesse Lopez joined a gang as a teenager. But at some point, he “switched.” Then he got his GED in juvenile hall, went to UC Berkeley, went to Duke, and now he has a Ph.D. in political science.
“It wasn’t easy going from sitting in juvenile hall to getting a Ph.D. at Duke. There are a lot of days when you doubt yourself. I think in life I have been incredibly lucky, but I have also been able to turn that luck and do something with it,” Jesse recalled.
And it was because of this very reason, he came to Survivor 43 — to show that world that there’s hope for everyone and to set an example for his kids as well.
So, what’s his game plan? Well, Jesse described himself to be “aware, ambitious, and unbreakable.” He boasted he could form friendships easily, and he would use that to his advantage. But with that being said, he also admitted that he was looking for an alliance with someone dependable, who’s not just willing to talk through strategy and bounce off ideas but also who’s “thoughtful” about it.
Overall, he identifies himself as a mix of the former contestants Jeremy and Tony. Motivated by his family, he’d do anything to stay in the game. “If you present me the impossible, I will overcome it,” he said.
All excited for the show’s premier Jesse took it to his IG to share, “Still can’t believe this is real life! I don’t take any of this for granted, find out what I do with this opportunity when @survivorcbs premieres on September 21st.”
How Old Is Jesse Lopez?
Jesse Lopez was 30 years of age when he appeared on Survivor 43 in 2022.
His is the same as his co-contestant Owen Knight.
Jesse Lopez Family
Jesse Lopez didn’t reveal his biological family. However, he boasted about his adoptive mother, Nancy Brown (former aunt), who took him under her wing as he was about to be placed in Foster Care.
Nancy’s own child, Veronica, was 15 at the time.
So, after Jesse was adopted, he and Veronica turned into siblings from cousins.
Sadly, Jesse’s mother passed away in 2020.
Recalling his mother on her birthday (i.e. on April 26) in 2021, Jesse shared she always asked him to “stop worrying so much”. She was the type of person who lived every moment how she wanted, and was completely comfortable giving the middle finger to anybody who had something to say about it. “Everything I have now can be traced back to a single selfless decision that she made, and I will make sure to enjoy each moment I have with what she has given me,” Jesse added.
Trivia: Jesse’s other aunt Sandy helped with the adoption process as well.
Jesse Lopez Wife
Jesse Lopez loves his wife likely named Rebecca (Roberts) Anne Lopez to the moon. He often featured her and their two kids on his IG.
Sadly, we don’t know much about her, except her birth date i.e. in Oct 1990.
The last we saw Jesse with his wife on his IG was in May 2021. The two were vacationing in NY at the time.
Jesse’s daughter turned 5 on May 13, 2022.
Is Jesse Lopez On Instagram?
As of September 2022, find Jesse on Instagram @jesse_l_lopez with 610 followers.
Also, here’s his Twitter @Jesse_L_Lopez.
Jesse Lopez Job
In 2022, Jesse Lopez was working as a “survey methodologist” at RTI International for over 1 ½ years. There, he used his expertise in behavior and attitudes to lead and contribute to projects that leverage “surveys, focus groups, qualitative interviews, third-party data, and experimental designs to conduct program evaluations and usability assessments.”
Prior to that, Jesse took the job as an “Assistant Panel Manager” at Pew Research Center for 8 months.
Jesse Lopez Height
Jesse Lopez stands tall at a height of around 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm).
Mentioning his distinct features, Jesse has an oval face, brown eyes, short hair, and a fit body. Also, he has several tattoos on his body including a rose and a butterfly (with a $ sign on it).
“I think my default face at home is just a very furrowed brow and stern,” Jesse described himself a little as well.
Related FAQs
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When Is Jesse Lopez Birthday?
Jesse receives his birthday wishes on November 30 and is of the Sagittarius zodiac.
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Where Is Jesse Lopez From?
Jesse hails from Venice, California.
But as of 2022, he resided in Durham, North Carolina.
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Where Did Jesse Lopez Recieve His Education?
Jesse got his GED in juvenile hall. He then graduated with a B.Sc. degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2016.
Later, he received his master’s in political science from Duke University in 2020.
And finally, in March 2022, Jesse earned his Ph.D. in political science from Duke University.
