Drawing upon her moving and inspiring book, CinderGirl, which is being developed into a major motion picture, Christina Meredith shares her heart-touching and uplifting life story. Leaving behind abuse, trauma and homelessness she went on to become Miss California, enroll in college, found her own nonprofit foundation, and set out on the path to becoming a commissioned U.S. Army officer. Sharing both her inner and outer journey into healing, profound faith and a powerful commitment to helping others, Christina encourages us to reach further into our own personal courage and find the help to heal our deepest wounds. Tailoring her presentation to focus on specific areas of her story, Christina believes that any obstacle can be overcome—we just have to find the power to believe and the strength to never give up.

By the time she reached high school, the chronic abuse that Christina Meredith had endured had crippled her ability to learn. Traumatized by sexual abuse by her uncle and psychological and physical abuse by a mentally ill mother with substance use disorder, she actually believed that she had lost her capacity to learn. Then, teachers saved her life. From buying her food when she was too hungry to concentrate to spending hours providing her with tutoring to catch up, graduate, and eventually go on to college and career, their caring made a difference. Finally faced with a solid support system, they also gave Christina the courage to speak out about her home life and find safety and stability in foster care. In this inspiring talk, Christina talks about how teachers literally saved her life and how their caring inspired her to help other children surviving trauma or aging out of foster care.

Dignity. Decorum. Discipline. Discretion. In her life, Christina Meredith went beyond just conquering adversity and surviving trauma. She also discovered tenets of success that took her from Miss California to college, writing a book, starting her charitable foundation and a soon-to-be commission in the U.S. Army. Grounded in a commitment to never allow self-pity to get in her way, Christina’s “Four D’s” are a code to live by. In this highly motivational talk, Christina shares her philosophy and the life experiences that have shaped her approach to achieving goals and success.

As a survivor of sexual abuse, Christina’s journey has taken her from tragedy and trauma to a commitment to healing others. A key mission of her nonprofit Christina Meredith Foundation is providing trauma care for foster children. In this brutally honest talk, Christina speaks openly about her experiences and how she found peace and healing through faith, therapy and community support. By sharing her own dramatic story and journey out of fear, desperation and darkness, Christina hopes that others will be inspired to pursue their own path to healing and wholeness.

Through all the years of abuse by her mother and uncle — even before she read her Bible or found comfort in Scripture — Christina always had a strong sense of the Lord’s love and presence. As a homeless teenager, living in her car, she prayed every day. In many ways, Christina has seen her prayers answered. But her journey was not without profound pain — pain that she vowed she would use for a higher purpose. In this inspiring talk for Christian audiences, Christina shares the strength and meaning that her faith has given her in times of profound abuse and suffering — and how she has used it to do the Lord’s work in helping others.