With over twenty years as an educator, Kristen pioneered a School-to-School program connecting her middle school classes with students in rural East Africa. In 2005, Kristen was awarded a scholastic grant and became the first Westerner to live in Sauri, Kenya. Kristen wrote middle grade novel, A Calf Named Brian Higgins, based on her wonderful experience. Published in 2018 by One Elm Books, an imprint of Red Chair Press, A Calf Named Brian Higgins has won several awards, including: American Legacy Book Awards: Pre-Teen Fiction Winner; Literary Titan Book Awards: Literary Titan Gold Award; Nautilus Book Award: Gold Level, Middle Grade Fiction; Northern Lights Book Award: Gold Level, pre-teen cultural category; and Book Excellence Award: Global Celebration of Literary Excellence. In 2021, Kristen launched her company, On the Ball Tutoring LLC, where she teaches students ranging in age from upper elementary through college in the areas of academics and executive functioning. Kristen is also an Adjunct Professor at Boston College, Woods College of Advancing Studies where she teaches College Writing Seminar, and at Sacred Heart University where she teaches First Year Writing Seminar. Kristen is the recipient of Where There Be Dragons educator program scholarships through which she hiked the Himalayas in Nepal and canoed along the Mekong River in Cambodia. Kristen's other adventures include running the New York City Marathon, bicycling the Boston-New York AIDS Ride, and swimming the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim. Kristen holds degrees from Boston College and Teachers College, Columbia University.
