Born and raised in North Minneapolis, Christine grew up the youngest of four siblings in a close-knit family. After graduating from North High School, Christine earned a degree in law enforcement and later returned to school to pursue her Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) credentials.

In 2023, Christine lost her oldest son while he was incarcerated because he did not receive his prescribed medication. Determined to prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy, Christine became an advocate for changes to how prescribed medications are provided to people in county jails. Over the next two years, she worked alongside community organizations, lawmakers, and state agencies, sharing her son’s story and testifying about the need for reform.

After losing her son and putting her life on hold to advocate for reforms in the prison system, Christine found herself starting over. She was unemployed so she moved in with her mother and began rebuilding her life. After using her savings and retirement funds to cover her son’s funeral expenses, she faced the challenge of rebuilding her finances, finding employment, and working toward stable housing.

During this time, a friend encouraged her to visit American Indian OIC, where she connected with staff and participated in career services, including Project Management training.

Over the course of the next year, Christine submitted countless applications and interviewed for multiple positions without receiving an offer. With the skills gained from her advocacy work and with a network of support from her career counselor, Brandon, she began to make strides in the rebuilding process. She strengthened her resume and cover letters, refined her interviewing skills, and regained confidence in herself. She also began to work on improving her credit so that she could afford to live on her own again.

“Even though I was at the bottom, I can now do this because I had that support from Brandon,” Christine said.

Today, with the support and encouragement she received from American Indian OIC, Christine has found employment working as a victim intervention advocate at Hennepin Healthcare and is making more than $32/hour fulfilling her passion of supporting people who have experienced violent crimes. She responds to emergency situations, meets with victims and their families, and connects them with resources such as housing assistance, financial support, and other services during times of crisis.

For Christine, American Indian OIC has been more than just a place she can take classes or search for a job. AIOIC has been a place she knew she could turn to for support and encouragement during a challenging period of her life.

“Coming here was probably the best thing for me,” she said. “At that point, I didn’t know what direction to go or what was going to happen to me next.”

Today, Christine continues to build this new chapter of her life, while advocating for others both professionally and with her legislative work. Her story is a reminder that with the right support, it’s possible to move forward after profound loss and create meaningful change for oneself and others.