Khristan grew up in a small town in East Texas where she spent time in foster care and experienced several traumatic events during her childhood. After graduating from high school, she moved to San Antonio on her own to pursue an undergraduate degree.

During that time, she faced many challenges, from managing her finances to figuring out how to navigate early adulthood. Eventually, she moved back to her hometown and stayed with family for a while. But that arrangement didn’t last, and she soon found herself couch surfing and dealing with housing instability. All the while, she was still trying to attend UTSA online, but keeping up with school started to feel impossible. To add to the stress, Khristan experienced the loss of her father during this time. With this, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep going, much less graduate.

That’s when Khristan got connected with THRU Project’s Next Step Housing program. With stable housing and no longer having to juggle rent and school, she was finally able to focus. She was also matched with a caring mentor, Debbie, who became a huge source of support and encouragement.

We’re proud to share that Khristan graduated from UTSA in December 2022 with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology while in our program. Her journey shows just how powerful support and stability can be.