Christa appreciates that her path here wasn't a straight line. Early in her career, she co-founded a Montessori-inspired learning company, long before "child-led learning" was a familiar concept. After years tech marketing, she eventually made a deliberate return to education as a substitute teacher, writing coach, and college admissions consultant.

What she's learned along the way is that students thrive when they've had the chance to uncover their own strengths, reflect on what matters to them, and find the confidence to show up as their authentic selves. She's drawn to the philosophy of self-directed learning, where kids are trusted to own their choices, their mistakes, and their growth, rather than having it handed to them. That's exactly why she was drawn to AASV as it encourages that kind of discovery long before high school.

Christa earned her B.A. Economics & English from Vanderbilt University and her MBA from Harvard Business School. Outside of work, she's a writer, a hiker, a music enthusiastic, board game player, and mom to three newly-adult "kids" who've taught her more than any classroom ever could.