Christina Meredith empowers audiences through her inspiring life story of overcoming abuse, foster care, poverty, and homelessness to build a life dedicated to helping others. Through faith, perseverance, and determination, she went on to become Ms. California, found her own nonprofit foundation, and serve as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

As shared in her memoir, CinderGirl: My Journey Out of the Ashes to a Life of Hope, and through appearances on the Today Show and stages nationwide, Christina’s story highlights the transformative power of hope, education, and resilience.

“My entire story is about hope, faith, persistence, achieving the God-given dream and purpose you have been given in this life, and not allowing things to deter you, because circumstances change. With hard work and a little faith, you can make them change.”

Christina Meredith is from St. Augustine, Florida, the nation’s oldest city. After enduring years of abuse, she entered the foster care system and was moved from family to family before aging out of care at 18. Graduating from Allen D. Nease High School with nowhere to turn, Christina became homeless and lived out of her car.

Determined to create a better future, Christina moved to California, where she worked a series of odd jobs before being discovered by a pageant recruiter who encouraged her to compete in the Miss California pageant. In April 2013, she won the title of Ms. California and has since dedicated herself to advocating for vulnerable women and children.

Christina has received numerous recognitions for her advocacy and public service, including the 2019 Community Impact Award from the state of Texas for her work in child welfare reform. She has opened for the Special Olympics, spoken before Congress on the foster care crisis, and advocated for expanded mental health and trauma therapy services for foster youth.

She has also worked with the state of Florida to train foster youth and state workers in trauma awareness and was honored by the City of St. Augustine as a hometown hero during Child Abuse Prevention Month. Through appearances on the Today Show, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, and other national media outlets, Christina has inspired millions with her message of healing, resilience, and purpose.

Today, Christina continues traveling across the country as a nationally sought-after speaker, foster care advocate, and mental health coach. Her advocacy efforts focus on foster care reform, including access to stable housing, healthcare, trauma-informed care, education, and economic stability for youth aging out of the system.

Christina completed a national book tour for her first book, CinderGirl, published by HarperCollins/Zondervan, and is currently working on her second book.

Represented nationally by APB Speakers, Christina also serves as a Signal Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army. She earned her commission through the University of Florida and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in Foreign Affairs from the University of North Florida. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Homeland Security.

Christina lives in Florida with her daughter.