Cristina Pocta is a Domini-Rican proud to have been raised in the Lower East Side of New York City. Her love for the marginalized led her to serve as a missionary to the poor in the Bronx and in Honduras, culminating in her pursuit of a degree in Human Services. After graduation, Cristina worked as a case manager for Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of New York while also serving as a founding member and retreat speaker with Corazon Puro, a youth and young adult ministry based out of the Bronx. After marrying the love of her life in 2011 and then becoming a mother, Cristina and Andrew relocated to his hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Having been blessed with three children (two biological and one adopted at birth), Cristina is a passionate mother and advocate for her family and has previously channeled her energy into spreading awareness for issues like inclusion, disability (her oldest children were born with Spina Bifida) and adoption. After years of spreading awareness about the physical disability of her children, (a topic not often focused on in the Church) her social media posts led the Pocta family to become semi-influencers for a brief period of time. With the busy nature of family life and the recent adoption of their youngest son, Cristina has sensed the call to fly “under the radar” in terms of maintaining an online presence. However, her passion and zeal for raising awareness continues to increase and she’s committed to advocating for those who often do not have a voice loud enough to be heard!