Krystal

Meet our first MBA, Krystal!

We were honored to attend Krystal’s award ceremony for the highest GPA in her MBA class at Saint Mary’s College of California.

What an accomplishment! Krystal worked full time at Kaiser Hospital in the IT department while attending school full time in the executive MBA program.

In addition to her career ambitions, she also devotes much of her time supporting foster youth by sitting on the executive board of directors of Koinonia Family Services, as its president of the board.

As a graduate of the program, she is actively involved in developing inspirational programs for foster youth to help promote healing and inspire hope for the future.

Krystal is one of our guest speakers at Angels in the Alley – Foster Kids Christmas. She shares her story and the kids are on the edge of their seats hanging on to every word!

“Before coming to Koinonia Family Services,” said Krystal, “my life was tragic. My stay at Koinonia was the beginning of a new life for me. For the first time in my life, I felt safe.”

Krystal is an amazing young lady!

From Krystal

Koinonia changed my life. I wouldn’t say it was Koinonia alone though, I think it was also the community partnering with Koinonia. It was church members, local business owners, art studios, restaurant owners, finance officers, sporting coaches, hairdressers, etc.

 

People in the community giving their time, talents, and treasures. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, I say it took a whole city or maybe multiple cities: Roseville, Rocklin, and Loomis to raise me. Seriously, I remember having a  finance officer at age 15 teach a class about how it is important to save for retirement and have a 401k.

 

I remember taking art classes, doing sports, and having hair parties. These things I never got to do as a child, welfare didn’t cover those things. I am thankful to God, to Koinonia, to the church, and to my new family. I couldn’t have become the woman I am today without their love and support.

 

The Christmas program that you provide is amazing! I wish I had this when I lived in the foster home. I think it is so awesome that your Angels in the Alley – Foster Kids Christmas, provides a scholarship upon graduating Koinonia. The kids need all the support possible from the community. According to the NY Times there was a study done in 2010 that only 6 percent of foster youth graduate college. That is just an alarming percentage. And did you know that California has the most foster kids in the US? The stats are scary, the problem is huge, and the resources are limited.

 

Sometimes I personally get overwhelmed by the problem. I want to give back, I want to make a difference, but I have limited time and limited resources.

 

But then I was reminded that just being me is making a difference. I can be a pillar of hope to the foster girls at Koinonia. If I was able to do it, so can they.

You can all make a difference too. You don’t have to save the world, but you can reach out with what you already have, with who you already are, and touch people’s lives. All it takes is partnering with Koinonia. And if there’s a nonprofit organization worth partnering with… its Koinonia. They have a program that works…they have the heart that cares…and they change lives every day.

-Krystal