Christina Chavez struggled in high school, suffering from PTSD caused by childhood trauma and poverty, she recalls.
And then, in an amazing turnaround, she not only finished high school, but she also earned a college degree and, eventually, a PhD. in molecular biology.
Christina, now 34, credits Pathways to Independence with giving her the support and resources to concentrate on her education.
She spoke about how Pathways changed her life while preparing to attend the nonprofit’s 35th annual anniversary fundraising event at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Cal State Long Beach.
Diana Hill, executive director of Pathways, said, “As Pathways celebrates its 35 years, we are proud to reflect on how far we have come and how much has remained at the heart of our mission to enable young women to transform their lives.”
Hill said Pathways started with one young woman and, since 1991, has empowered more than 500 women, with 80 percent graduating from college.
“Pathways had one powerful realization,” Hill said. “Without education and opportunity, a young woman’s future would remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, limited access to health care and few opportunities for advancement.”
Christina said she finally finished high school after five years “but college coursework seemed impossible to catch up on.”
However, she said, “Despite my lack of confidence, I decided to pursue higher education because I knew that was the only way out of poverty and to build a good life for myself and my family.”
She attended Santiago Community College in Orange without any specific career goals.
“I had done some work in insurance to try to get out of poverty, but I didn’t enjoy it,” she said. “I enjoyed math at community college and was encouraged by a teacher to study science courses.”
While at Santiago Community College, she joined Pathways and began her first summer internship “where I learned that I not only enjoyed scientific discovery but I was talented at it as well. Being a part of Pathways, I finally had the time and space to pursue research so I did so every summer after that.”
She graduated from Santiago and transferred to Cal State Fullerton where she earned her bachelor of science degree in molecular biology.
Her next big step was to apply for a doctorate degree in biology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in 2020.
“Because of all the support I received from Pathways and other scholarship programs, I worked as a program coordinator for three undergrad research programs and founded my own post-grad mentorship program in which I worked with over 200 undergrads and 100 graduate and post doctoral students while I was at Vanderbilt.”
She received her PhD in biology at her graduation at Vanderbilt in May, 2026.
Lisa Mais, director of development at Pathways, went to Nashville to celebrate Christina’s graduation with her. “Whenever one of our graduates shares a story, it has a powerful impact,” Mais said.
“We know it inspires others to hear about our graduate’s experiences and the path she has taken. I couldn’t be prouder of this young woman and what she has achieved.”
In a video on the Pathways website, Hill says that “Pathways to Independence is a social impact organization that helps young women who have no support system…….. They come to us. We give them hope. And they go out and change the world.”
And that’s exactly what happened with Christina Chavez.
For more information on the Rock the Yacht event on October 3, visit: pathwaystoindependence.org/events/