05/24/2026
Graduation season is here, and over the coming days we're sharing stories from some of the remarkable individuals crossing the stage this year—in their own words, shaped by resilience, purpose, and faith. We're so proud of each and every one. 🎓
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Christina Kesterson-Hazouk, SBH Class of 2026
My name is Christina Kesterson-Hazouk, and writing this letter fills me with overwhelming gratitude, pride, and emotion. Attending Loma Linda University has been a dream of mine for many years, and being able to reflect on the journey that brought me here is something I will forever cherish.
When I was a pr***en, I realized I wanted to help children. At the time, I did not know in what capacity, but deep in my heart, I understood that I did not simply want to help children—I needed to. Working with children has always been my passion. From babysitting at a young age to earning my undergraduate degree in Child Development from Humboldt State University, every step of my life has reaffirmed that calling.
As a child and teenager, I faced many obstacles and painful experiences that ultimately shaped my decision to become a social worker. However, this moment is not about focusing on hardship—it is about celebrating resilience, growth, and purpose. I truly believe I would not have developed the passion, empathy, and voice I have today without enduring difficult times. Those experiences taught me compassion, perseverance, and the importance of helping others find hope within themselves.
I strongly believe that we are not defined by what happened to us or by what others think of us. We are defined by what we choose to become. Trauma, whether big or small, does not determine our worth or our future. We become what we set our minds and hearts to achieve. I believe deeply in mental health, healing, and the brain’s ability to recover, grow, and rewire itself. Healing takes resilience, self-awareness, support, and courage, but I truly believe anyone can reach their goals if they have even one person who believes in them and one reason to keep moving forward.
As a future social worker, my goal is to help others recognize their true potential and build the confidence, coping skills, and resilience needed to overcome negative mindsets and life's hardships. I aspire to work with children in a forensic interviewing capacity because I firmly believe everyone has a story that deserves to be heard. Too often, children’s voices are silenced, overlooked, or dismissed because they are small or viewed as inconvenient. I want to be the person who listens, advocates, and helps guide them toward healing and empowerment.
The people who helped me reach this point in 2026 are first and foremost my family. No relationship is perfect, but one thing I will always stand by is the unwavering support my husband has given me throughout my academic and professional journey. My children became my newfound purpose and motivation to better myself each day. Understanding mental health and the effects trauma can have across generations has become especially important to me as a mother. I am endlessly grateful to my husband and children for supporting me through sleepless nights, early mornings, long days, sacrifices, patience, understanding, and encouragement. Everything I do is for my family, and I will continue to move mountains for them one stone at a time.
Before I had my husband and children, there was a time when I struggled deeply with understanding who I was and why I was here. One of the most defining moments in my life was nearly losing my aunt in a devastating motorcycle accident. She had always been my safe place, my greatest role model, and the person who gave me strength during my own struggles with trauma and self-worth. My aunt graduated from Loma Linda University with her MSW, and during my junior year of high school, I remember her encouraging me and telling me she would help me with my college applications because she knew I needed an escape—a chance to discover my worth and stop living in fear and silence.
The summer before my senior year, my aunt was involved in a life-threatening accident that caused a severe traumatic brain injury. This event changed me forever. Even 14 years later, it remains difficult to talk about. Yet through faith, determination, and what I truly believe was a miracle from God, she learned how to walk, talk, and live life again. After her accident, my aunt chose not to return to her academic aspirations of becoming a clinical social worker because she realized how precious life was and instead focused on building the beautiful family she had always dreamed of.
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