Kristen was born and raised in Santa Cruz. Her passion for teaching began at the age of 13, when she led classes at a local martial arts studio. Her love for seeing students grow continued in adulthood when she became a CrossFit coach for kids and teens with CrossFit West. Eventually her passion for art led to her current role at Santa Cruz Montessori, teaching art to lower elementary, upper elementary and Wavecrest. She has been with Santa Cruz Montessori since 2020. Her education background is in studio arts and graphic design.