Kristina C.

My name is Kristina. I'm a Bay Area native, born and raised in San Mateo where I attended St. Matthews Catholic, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory and then went on to The University of Arizona where I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Communication and Psychology. Shortly after, I went on to work in NYC to work in real estate. A few months into the "real world," my life came to a screeching halt on October 30th, 2016. My sister, Aliya Rose Cullinane, took her life.

It was truly the worst day of my entire life, waking up to a call from my dad confirming the news that my baby sister was gone. Even writing this now is difficult, hard to believe, something I never wanted to accept. I miss her every day and will forever live with the grief in my heart, but through the communities like Safe Space, I understood better the silent battle my sister fought. I want so badly to bring her back, but since I can't go back in time and changed what happened, I will continue to share her story, her light, and remind everyone that they are loved. I hope I can do by reliving the most painful day of my life to rewrite someone else’s story by sharing my sister’s because I wouldn’t wish this pain, loss, or grief on anyone.

I moved back home shortly after as I could not grieve alone across the country away from my family. I needed them. I needed a community like Safe Space, and there are so many things that came into my life after my sister left that I needed to feel close to her again. Currently, I am working as a Real Estate Agent alongside my dad, who is forever my superhero. I am continuing on my 4th year as a Raiderette, following in the footsteps of my beautiful mother ( Raiderette circa 1980), my role model! I also teach some fitness classes, but since quarantine, I have taken it virtually! All of this has helped immensely with my mental health recovering from the loss of my beautiful baby sister, whom I know is watching over us all.

Now more every day, mental health is so essential to our world. In a year of isolation and social distancing, it's worn heavy on many, and I’m here to remind everyone that you don't have to go through it alone. We all have mental health, and the more we talk to each other about it, the more we learn about our own. Mental health does not have one answer or vaccine that will cure-all. It's an ongoing battle, but it's one that we can fight and overcome together.

I'm honored to be a part of Safe Space. Since I've gotten more involved with the community, I've learned so much about my mental health through the youth board. They have gifted me a new perspective on the grief and loss of my sister. I am so proud of each of the young adults I've seen growing so much throughout my past three years with Safe Space. Truly incredible!