Sharon McIntyre Smith grew up in Kingsburg, California, on a peach farm. Her father was a fruit buyer for Del Monte Foods, Inc., and her mother was a bilingual second grade teacher in the farm area, which included children of migrant workers. Smith went on to earn her BS in International Business from Fresno State University and now works as a marketing professional in a global company. Married with two sons, she lives with her family in San Diego, California.