Christina was born and raised in western Oregon, just 45 minutes from the Oregon coast. Her mother (Navajo descendant) was born in Utah and grew up in Oregon, her father (Yucatec Maya) was born in Oxcutzcab, Yucatán (Mexico) and grew up in Oregon. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Portland State University, and her M.S. in Natural Resources & Environmental Education from the University of Idaho. Christina is the program coordinator for outreach and recruitment at the Northwest Native American Center of Excellence (NNACoE), at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Christina specializes in culturally relevant mentorship for Indigenous students who are looking to pursue higher education and further their passions. As the first in her family to pursue higher education and as an Indigenous woman in STEM, Christina is familiar with the challenging disparities BIPOC might face in the western academic and professional worlds.