Her Story
About Christina
Every day is different for me, which is something I actually enjoy. Some days it could be helping to plan events. Other days, it could be actually attending and working with the client. I also do a lot of sexuality trainings with clients that have autism, and one of the big things I spend a lot of time on is advocating for the clients that we work with and helping them get funding sources in place. I'm a very blunt person at times, but I find that when you're working with families that are so overwhelmed, and they're sick of reading through 20 pages of regulations, a lot of times they appreciate that someone's just giving them a straight answer, instead of them having to spend time trying to figure out what does this actually mean. I'm always looking at their positives and their strengths, rather than just what they can't do. I also do a lot of public speaking and a lot of podcast interviews, and I find that that has been really effective in getting a new audience that maybe hasn't heard of us before to look at our services and what we're doing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I feel like what attributes to my success is having a support system in Josh, as well as having the support of a great workforce. We have about 60 employees, and we have a really dedicated workforce that I feel goes above and beyond all the time, and they really do great things. I would also say that I'm a very blunt person at times, but I find that when you're working with families that are so overwhelmed, and they're sick of reading through 20 pages of regulations, a lot of times they appreciate that someone's just giving them a straight answer, instead of them having to spend time trying to figure out what does this actually mean.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say one of the biggest things with starting a nonprofit that a lot of people don't understand is that the money goes back into the company, and so they really have to be a mission, and it has to be mission-driven. A lot of times, it's not easy to get out there and get everything you want on day one, so it's a long process to basically build up the nonprofit. But always just having to stay true to the mission of why it was started in the first place.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say that the field is evolving quickly, and sometimes that's a good and bad thing. It's very hard to keep on track of regulations, because regulations are constantly changing, sometimes even every 6 months as more recent research comes into the field. I would say in general in Human Services, which is always a concern, is the funding portion of it, particularly for teens and then adults, because adults don't get nearly what the children's services do. So that's why I spend so much time advocating and trying to get funding for clients that need it, just because they're out of school doesn't mean that their needs stop.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say definitely hardworking. Definitely, I try very hard to do services so that it's ethical for everyone, including the staff and the individuals. I would say that also I'm a very empathetic person when it comes to people with disabilities, but I also am always looking at their positives and their strengths, rather than just what they can't do.
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