Who I Am

My name is Cristina Fernández, and I am simultaneously the subject and author of this web site. I spent my formative years in Miami, Florida, and earned my bachelor's degree (B.A., Psychology) at Florida International University. After an obligatory period of introspection and world travel, I packed my belongings and headed to Massachusetts in 2005. Once here, I began studying at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and earned my master's degree in Community Social Psychology in 2007.

After graduation, I took some time off to go back to Florida, where I learned the hard way that eloping really is the better alternative to a traditional wedding. I did get a husband out of the whole ordeal, though. His name is Joshua Smith (St. Joseph's College of Maine, c/o 2005), and he is a Montessori lower elementary school teacher.

These days, I work as a senior assistant store manager at Dressbarn. While I have found that there are a number of benefits to working in this industry, my ultimate goal is to transition out of retail/sales and into either an academic or nonprofit/community benefit setting. I don't have a timetable for this, as I'm fairly content where I am at the moment, but, eventually, I would like to cross that off the bucket list. Over the years, I have gained a number of transferable skills (e.g. customer service, supervisory, administrative) and always challenge myself to learn new skills and gain new experiences. On the side, I enjoy participating in various charitable causes, particularly the annual Walk For Hunger in Boston, for which I am constantly "in training".

At various points along the way, I became a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), Psi Chi, and the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA).

And, in case you were wondering, Mariela is pronounced mar-YELL-ah. (But "Mary-Ella" is acceptable.)