Christena graduated in 2010 with a degree in photojournalism from the University of North Texas followed by two years as a staff photographer at the Texarkana Gazette in Texarkana, Texas. She then lived in East Africa for five years before taking a staff job with a non profit where she worked internationally for three years. After living and working overseas for most of her career, she has now set her path on working in America to address racial and economic divides. She recently completed her master's in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Oregon. Her research interests include the intersection of visual media, nonprofit work, and systemic problems in society.