Christiona is the Professional Learning Coordinator for GEAR UP the METRO at the University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center. Through her work with GEAR UP, she collaborates with schools and leaders to design meaningful action plans which provide services to students and teachers around GEAR UP goals. Christiona is able to promote authentic teaching through growing and empowering educators with engaging and research-based professional learning. She has a deep passion for life-long learning and hopes to ignite that in others through encouraging thoughtful risk-taking and creativity in the classroom.

Prior to her role at K20, Christiona worked as a Language Arts curriculum coordinator in OKCPS and in Norman Public Schools as a middle school assistant principal, innovative learning coach, and language arts teacher. 

In her personal time, Christiona enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys, reading, sewing, and learning new hobbies.