2015 Recipient

Kristina is a hard working student athlete who has a passion for the arts and community service.  While maintaining her grades in Honors Program courses, Kristina finds time to teach piano to area youth, participate in high school musicals, captain her school’s field hockey team, and give back to her local community of Burlington.  As the winner of Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen in 2013, she promoted her platform “Food is Not a Privilege It is a Right” and continues her advocacy work to end hunger.

Although Kristina never had to struggle with the issue of food insecurity, close friends did. Once she was aware of the problem she knew she had to take action and make a difference.  She began volunteering weekly at the Burlington Food Bank.  Once she discovered how great the need was in her local community she increased her efforts to bring awareness to the issue of food insecurity and end hunger.  Kristina organized two Mother and Daughter fundraising luncheons raising over $2,000 for Project Bread and her local food pantry.  With the help of friends, Kristina collected over 300 pounds of food during a Holiday Food Drive and is partnering with local bakeries to provide food to area food pantries.  In addition, Kristina served as the Massachusetts Youth Ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH).  She organized a “Miracles Concert Tour” which raised over $1,000 for CMNH while also collecting and distributing books and stuffed animals to patients at Mass General who couldn’t spend the holidays at home.  Kristina is a caring and ambitious young woman.  We wish her continued success as she pursues her education at Bentley University this fall.