Christa: “I have the strength to keep going”

After experiencing heartbreaking loss and facing the task of rebuilding her life, Christa has her eyes set on giving back and creating a brighter future for her daughter.

Christa is no stranger to dedication and discipline. Starting at age three, she played soccer in select club leagues with dreams of someday playing at a professional level. 

“It’s literally all I did: practice five days a week and then tournaments on the weekends,” she remembers. “So that was my passion.” 

Between soccer training and attending a private Christian school, Christa’s childhood was regimented and predictable (she defines it as “sheltered”). This changed when she turned 15 and left her mother’s house to move to Mill Creek. In high school she became fast friends with a group that regularly drank and smoked cannabis. And after being accepted into this crowd, her life changed drastically. 

“I had my first sip of alcohol when I was 15 and within three months I was addicted to opiates,” she says. “And that went on my whole life.” 

During this period, Christa was swept up in a cycle of using and selling substances.  

“I was addicted to that lifestyle, selling drugs and just living a really chaotic life.” 

When she was 17, she met her partner. She got her own apartment a year later. After several years together entrenched in the only lifestyle they knew, they had a daughter. 

Not long after becoming a mother, Christa was turned in on substance distribution charges and served six years in prison. Although the experience changed her, it wasn’t until early 2024 when her life took a sudden and unexpected turn. 

Christa was in jail for two weeks on account of a DOC violation when a sergeant delivered the news that her partner had been involved in a motorcycle accident and had passed away. The remainder of her sentence gave her the opportunity to detox, and more importantly, wrap her head around the devastation of losing her partner. 

“It gave me 10 days to process it and think about our daughter who's already grown up in that lifestyle,” she explains. “And just thinking about what she's going through and how selfish that would be for me to get out and do the same thing. And so I got released and I never got high again.” 

Around this time an acquaintance had applied to Pallet to work on the production floor. Unsure of her next steps, Christa followed suit and submitted her own application. Within days of her interview, she started her new job. 

Despite being apprehensive of starting a completely unfamiliar lifestyle and career, Christa dove in headfirst and gave it her all. 

“I was so unsure of what I wanted to do and what my future looked like or even how to live a normal life,” she says. “And so I just woke up every day and came here, and every week I felt stronger.” 

Between the structure of participating in Pallet’s Career Launch PAD and the accepting, supportive environment of working alongside others with similar lived experience, she knew she had found the right fit. 

“Being previously incarcerated and having a record, you're judged everywhere you go,” she explains. “A lot of doors close when you have a record, and coming here and having people not only be accepting of that in second chances, but to support recovery in addition is kind of unheard of in the workplace. And I mean, that's probably one of the biggest reasons I ended up staying. So this place definitely has saved my life.” 

In a short time, Christa’s tenacity and work ethic has already placed her on a fast track for growth. She jumped on the opportunity to join Pallet’s Safety Committee. She’s taking the skills she’s already learned in the pre-apprenticeship program—like power tool operation, safety protocols, and earning her OSHA certificate—to pursue a career as an electrician upon graduation. She’s particularly proud to be part of the deployment team, traveling to different sites across North America and helping build shelters for people displaced by natural disasters and those experiencing homelessness. 

“Being able to give back has been huge for me,” she says. “Because all I've ever done is just tear up my community, and so to be able to go out there and help people get off the streets and be a part of something bigger than me is huge.” 

Christa’s hard work, commitment to sobriety, and vision for the future have already improved her relationship with her daughter. She says it feels amazing to be able to be more present and to focus on being a good mom. And although they’re both still processing grief, Christa is trying her best to keep things in perspective. 

“I miss him every day,” she says. “Our lives will never be the same. But everything happens for a reason, and I’m trying to think of it like that instead of being depressed. It’s given our daughter a chance.” 

Given how far she’s already come, we couldn’t be more proud to have Christa on our team—and we can’t wait to see where she goes next. 

Meet the other three featured participants in Pallet’s Career Launch PAD and read their stories.