Our Story

We are a team of educators committed to supporting immigrant and unhoused youth and their families through access, stability, and opportunity.

We are a team of educators who met while working in San Diego city schools, supporting immigrant and unhoused youth and their families. Through our work, we saw firsthand how resilient these students are and how often they face significant barriers beyond the classroom.

Kristy serves as the school district’s youth in transition liaison for students experiencing homelessness, while Karrie works closely with newcomer students and families through the district’s Newcomer Welcome Centers. In these roles, we recognized a significant overlap: many newcomer immigrant students are also experiencing homelessness.

As we worked to support these students, we saw how difficult it can be for families to navigate complex systems and access the resources they need. This shared experience revealed a critical gap in resources and support for financial stability—one that inspired us to come together to better serve immigrant and unhoused youth.

Meet Our Board

Kristy Drake, Ed.D

Kristy Drake, Ed.D

Kristy Drake has worked as a classroom teacher, program lead, and district resource teacher to serve a broad range of populations, including English Learners, Spanish Learners, newcomer/refugee students, and students experiencing homelessness. Kristy currently works as the district homeless/foster liaison, ensuring all the educational rights and entitlements are afforded to students experiencing homelessness. Kristy Drake holds a B.A. in Diversified Liberal Arts, a Multiple Subjects Credential and Bilingual CLAD, an M.Ed in Bilingual Education, and an Ed.D in Teaching & Learning. Kristy has been an educator in San Diego Unified School District for 30 years and a Lecturer at UC San Diego for 10 years.