Christa: “I have the strength to keep going”
November 8, 2024
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.
Christa's Progress Update: January 2025
Reflecting on enrolling in Pallet’s Career Launch PAD, Christa recalls her driving force to make progress and improve her life.
“I was excited about it because I want to take every possible opportunity that I can get that will move me forward,” she says. “I’ve been excited about it the whole time, I’m just trying to always give it 100 percent.”
Now four months in, she hasn’t lost an ounce of motivation to build her future with her newfound skills.
“So far, it's really helped build my confidence and give me an idea of what I actually want to do with my life because I wasn't really sure,” she says. “For me, having a legal job is the first step. And then going to school has given me some direction and made me feel more positive about what I’m doing with my life.”
Since the beginning of the program, Christa and her classmates have earned certifications for OSHA safety, CPR, operating a boom lift, telehandler, and scissor lift, and even learned how to properly operate a jackhammer.
“Driving the scissor lift and boom lift was really big for me, because I had never even been on either,” she says.
Christa still has her sights set on becoming an electrician after graduating. She says the comprehensive structure of the courses at CITC has been helpful in visualizing outcomes and understanding how she’ll apply this knowledge in her career.
“We go through the textbook, but every week we learn something new so we get a better idea of everything that’s offered,” she explains. “One of the instructors handed out a test that you would take to get your electrician license. So to take that and then see exactly what you need to learn is pretty cool, because it’s a hard test, and I feel like I have something to work toward now.”
Despite being anchored by her dedication and clear vision for the future, Christa has still encountered challenges along the way as she began her recovery journey, a new job, and a pre-apprenticeship program all at the same time. She says it’s been difficult adjusting to new financial burdens, working as hard as she can and still feeling behind on her obligations. Even so, she persevered and told herself quitting wasn’t an option.
“I know I can get through it, I would never give up—that’s definitely not the problem, but I ran into some obstacles for sure,” she says. “Staying focused on my end goal and just making sure I’m a good example to my daughter keeps me going through any obstacles.”
The past few months have had a substantial impact on Christa’s life and outlook. The only thing that’s remained constant is her determination and tenacity to keep going.
“It’s like day and night the way my life has changed,” she says. “Everything about my life is completely different. I’m just getting to know myself because this is the first time I’ve been sober in about 20 years. So I’m just figuring out what my hobbies are, and I’m earning more trust with my family so I can have my daughter back full time. Having this job and being in school allows me to be able to do that.”
Meet the other three featured participants in Pallet’s Career Launch PAD and read their stories.