Kristen grew up in Mechanicsville, VA with her parents and two older sisters. She graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA in 2004 with a B.A. in Religion.

Kristen graduated from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond with a Masters of Divinity May 2007. After faithfully serving two churches and the University of Mary Washington Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Kristen began January 2008 as the Youth Missions Coordinator at the Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia.