Kristina Winn

Kristina grew up in Augusta County with her parents and younger brother. She went to Mary Baldwin University to study marketing and communications and fell in love with working with nonprofits in both a marketing and administrative capacity. After exploring a couple other job opportunities, she found her way to Hawassa Hope. “The job with Hawassa Hope has allowed me to both use my experience and passion in a way that no other jobs I’ve had have let me. I love knowing that the work that I am doing is making a difference. Hawassa Hope’s mission means so much to me, and if I can be just a small part of making life easier for a child, I’ll know that this job is worthwhile.”

Kristina works as an administrative assistant for Hawassa Hope as an employee of GVAM. “One of my favorite things I get to do is mail out hand-written letters and hand-drawn pictures from our program’s children to our sponsors. I love doing this because the sponsors get to connect with the children on a personal level and learn all about their families and their dreams. And of course, sometimes the kids say the funniest things, and it almost feels like I know each of them. It feels amazing to connect with kids who live on the other side of the world. It has given me a deeper appreciation for the work that Hawassa Hope is doing.”

Outside of her work at Hawassa Hope, Kristina enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Bodie. She also works as a dance teacher and artistic coordinator at Xpressions Dance Center. I am very passionate about dance and the arts.  I have spent my whole life performing, and I am so lucky that I get to work with the next generation of performers. “I really enjoy spending my time teaching my students and coming up with new choreography.”

“Even though I am always learning and working to improve, I believe that my experience in marketing has helped me be a better worker for Hawassa Hope. I know how important it is to share updates and keep our donors involved, so they always realize just how much of a difference they are making. I also believe that, oddly enough, my experience as a dance teacher has come in handy at this job. I have dedicated most of my life to working with children and understanding how important it is to connect with them on a personal level. That is also important with a charity like Hawassa Hope.  Even if these children are on the other side of the world, I have found ways to help donors feel more involved and connected with them.”