During her undergraduate studies, Christina developed an interest in international
relations. In 2011, she studied abroad in Moscow, Russia and began studying Russian
language. This sparked an interest in Eastern Europe that has guided her academic and
professional career.

After graduating with an honors bachelor’s degree, Christina lived in Tbilisi, Georgia from
2013 -2015. She worked as an academic consultant, freelance edited foreign policy
articles and proposals for international NGOs, and developed a keen interest in
Georgian politics (and broader Russia-West conflicts playing out in Eastern Europe).
She earned her Master’s degree at Johns Hopkins SAIS, a top U.S. international
relations program, from 2015 -2017. She completed her first year on the Bologna, Italy
SAIS campus and second year in Washington, DC, as well as field research in Kyiv,
Ukraine for her graduate thesis.

Since completing her education, Christina has worked as a political consultant with
specialties in media and communications for Georgian and Ukrainian politicians and
businesses. Through her work, Christina has gained extensive international experience
and developed strong cross- cultural communication skills as well as a nuanced
understanding of local and international politics.

In August 2019, Christina launched a nonpartisan, nonprofit summer school for emerging
leaders in Tbilisi and now serves as the director of the Georgian NGO “New Leaders
Initiative”.