Hi! My name is Christina Acosta and I was born and raised in Los Angeles, Ca. I am a Mexican/American and a proud child of immigrants. I am not your traditional streamline PhD student. I made HORRIBLE choices in high school and A LOT of them. I ended up failing most my classes senior year and was told I was not going to graduate. Hearing that news shook me to my core. I knew I had to do something to dig myself out of the whole I was now drowning in.
I enlisted into the Air Force after receiving my HS diploma through adult school. Shortly after, I lost my beloved mother. That week I left to basic training and made every effort to make something out of myself to ensure my mother didn’t leave this earth in vain. After serving in the U.S Air Force overseas, I went back to school with the aid of my G.I bill and received a double bachelors. I am now a second year PhD student in Cell Biology and Anatomy studying mitochondrial dysfunction in atherosclerosis at the Louisiana State University of Health Sciences-Shreveport.
I am passionate about encouraging diversity in STEM and Latinas in STEM. I want the world to know STEM is for EVERYONE and ANYONE who is curious enough; and to finally break down the ivory tower that is academia. Anyone who is struggling and thinks maybe STEM isn’t for them, think again, IT IS. Go and grab your seat hermana! I want anyone who can dream it, to achieve it. Que sigan luchando hoy y siempre, porque somos chingonas!