Kriti Mehrotra
Steven Ramm from CBS’ ‘Survivor 49’ is a professional Rocket Scientist and part-time musician. On the show, he aimed to lay low and build strong connections. He knew the challenges but also remained confident in his gameplay because he did not want to play dirty. Since he lives with hearing loss (which was undiagnosed till he was in his 20s), he learned to maintain great eye contact, read body language, and pay close attention to dynamism in people’s vibes, which he feels gave him an advantage in the game. Steven played the game with well-roundedness and intent, emerging as one of the most interesting personalities of the season.
Steven Ramm Feels Quite Grateful to Have Such Supportive Loved Ones
Although born in Littleton, Colorado, Steven was primarily raised in Denver, Colorado, in a tight-knit middle-class family alongside a younger sister named Kat Ramm. He actually grew up with unwavering support from his entire family and with stories of World War II from his grandfather, who is a veteran, resulting in the latter being his biggest inspiration in life. His grandfather is now 99 years old and still sharp enough to live alone, so his physical and mental strength, compassion, sense of humor, and overall longevity are what Steven hopes to have. Even if he just has a fraction of it, he will be happy because he knows he will be carrying on a legacy.
Neither Steven nor his family ever realized he had hearing issues, but when he was in his 20s, he realized something was wrong. That’s because his friends would change the tuning of his every play, and he was constantly getting scolded by his then-girlfriend for not paying attention to her, even when he was listening. So, he decided to get his hearing checked, which resulted in him being diagnosed with something called Cookie Bite hearing loss, meaning he has mid-range hearing loss, which is where most humans talk. This was a revelation for him, but also hard, and his family’s support is what helped him embrace this new reality of his.
Coming to Steven’s personal relationship, he is currently in a happy, healthy long-term relationship with a woman named Kelsey Brunkow, who has even blended in with his family. The truth is, she is the one who pushed him to apply for ‘Survivor’ after they got into the show during the pandemic, with him quipping she was just tired of listening to him say he could be a good player. Whatever the case may be, it’s undeniable that they share a beautiful relationship full of adventures, care, love, respect, trust, and understanding, which is all that matters in the long run. It’s also imperative to note that this travel enthusiast couple even shares an adorable Golden Retriever called Rupert, named after Rupert Boneham from ‘Survivor: Pearl Islands.’
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Steven Ramm is a Rocket Scientist With a Creative Streak
When Steven was a young boy growing up in Denver, all he wanted to do was pursue a career in the humanities or arts since he loved making music, writing original pieces, and helping others. However, everything turned upside down for him when he went camping in the Colorado Mountains and saw our galaxy in the sky, thanks to there being no air or light pollution at that level. “It was just incredible, just seeing all the stars and seeing all the detail,” he said. “It really put a lot of things in perspective. I had my first existential crisis. And (I) started asking myself questions like, ‘How did we get here? Where are we going? What is love? Baby, don’t hurt me.’ And I knew I had to devote my whole life and career to helping answer some of those questions.”
Therefore, upon graduating high school, Steven enrolled at the University of Colorado-Boulder for a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering. He took 5 years (2008-2013) to complete his degree instead of four because not only was his math admittedly weak, but he was also working throughout this time to gain first-hand experience. He first joined NASA as an Outreach Coordinator from August 2008 to August 2009, during which he even served on the RocketSat VI Structures Team at the Colorado Space Grant Consortium from January to May 2009. Then, he moved on to be an Environmental Fatigue Analysis Intern at Lockheed Martin from September 2010 to May 2011 before becoming a Thermal Engineer at Black Sun Planetary Solutions.
Steven worked here from May 2011 to January 2011, during which he also took on the role of Project Manager & GNC Subsystem Lead at Jet Propulsion Laboratory from August 2012 to May 2013. Since then, though, he has been working at Lockheed Martin, moving up from an Engineer to a Lead Spacecraft System Architect, and now proudly serving as a Program Manager. He has held this title since April 2024, meaning he continues to develop technological plans/visions to send people back to the Moon and onto Mars. The topic is something he has spoken about at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in the early 2020s, too.
On a more creative level, Steven never really stopped making music, so he continues to play the bass, drums, and guitar. He doesn’t really care if it’s solo or in a band as long as he gets play, let his creative juices flow, and is allowed to remain his authentic self. Honestly, being a family-oriented young man, a musician with a hearing aid, as well as a scientist with plans to explore space further, is who he is, and he knows he will be incomplete if any one of these aspects is taken away from him in any form.
