Christina Wolken
(She / Her)
YAB Administrative Lead (Cook & Northern) | | Illinois DCFS Youth Advisory Board
Christina is a lover of all things green and likes to think she also has a green thumb. As someone who is a self-proclaimed nerd, she is your go to for random factoids and miscellaneous research studies. With this skillset, Christina can connect with individuals from all walks of life and truly enjoys learning from differing perspectives.
As someone with experience in founding a non-profit, Christina has a wealth of knowledge in creating lasting communications systems, managing efficient workflows, and creating stakeholder relationships. Behind each of these systems and relationships beats the true heart of Christina’s passion - empowerment. As someone who knows first-hand the importance of empathy, Miss Wolken is an advocate for protective factors, believer in trauma-informed practices, and a voice for equity & accountability.
Christina was deeply influenced by Youth Advisory Boards herself. As an adolescent she had the privilege of being surrounded by loving adults who held her accountable and encouraged her to pursue her passions in advocacy through their local and statewide Youth Advisory Boards. Miss Wolken believes youth not only have a voice, but should also be encouraged and trained to use their voices as a means to affect change.
Christina lives in Chicago with her husband, 3 sons, 2 dogs, 2 cats, hundreds of fish, and a lot of plants. She affectionately refers to this chaos as her own zoo and loves welcoming others into the experience and power of family connection.
“Families are like a compass and guide us. They are inspiration to reach new heights and comfort when we falter.”