Sterling was born in July 1990. Her mother is Darcy LaPier and her father is Ron Rice, who was owner of The Hawaiian Tropics suntan products company and beauty pageants. Her mother Darcy later married Jean-Claude Van Damme, making him her step-father. Current step-father is Brian Snodgrass.

Sterling's most notable work and biggest break was with Troy Cory in his television/stage, "The Troy Cory Evening Show" (1974) - 2008, aka The Troy Cory Show where Sterling performed, utilizing her singing talents at 13 years old going on 14, as yet another first performer in The Peoples Republic of China in 2004. Her father Ron Rice traveled there along with his group of Hawaiian Tropic girls for The Troy Cory Show in Shanghai, China and surrounding cities there on a performing tour throughout China.