The Architecture of Resilience: Reclaiming Life After Trauma
Host Nathan James sits down with Christina Barlas, a Senior Regional Marketing Specialist and UMGC MBA graduate who turned a life-altering trauma into a story of absolute resilience. At age 16, Christina’s world was shattered by a violent home invasion that left her feeling unsafe and disconnected from her education.
After initially dropping out of school to work in the salon industry, Christina realized that her true potential lay beyond the stylist's chair. She shares the pivotal moment she rediscovered her childhood love for art and technology, leading her to enroll at UMGC. Balancing multiple jobs with a rigorous academic schedule, she not only earned her bachelor's degree but went on to complete her MBA with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Today, Christina advocates for "making the most of wherever you go," using her past experiences as a foundation for leadership, mentorship, and a future dedicated to helping other victims of crime.
Episode Information
Christina Barlas
If you have a passion, a goal or a dream, go for it. It is never, ever too late. And even though it might seem very challenging or like there's a long road ahead, don't let that stop you.
Nathan James
Welcome to the UMGC podcast Unstoppable Stories with your host Nathan James. Hello, everybody. It is good to have you. I am here with Christina Barlas and she is a UMGC grad. Actually got her MBA, with us. And she, is an executive, senior regional marketing specialist, actually, and, has made time to join us here to share her story.
Nathan James
So, Christina, thank you for being on with us.
Christina Barlas
Of course. Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be here.
Nathan JamesI'm so, so sorry. Well, okay. So you are currently a senior regional marketing specialist, right? Like I mentioned, you've got your MBA. Let's start by rewinding. I will turn back the clock. Take us back to when you were 16. If someone told you back then that you would today be a corporate executive, what would you have said to them?
Christina Barlas
Sure. So not quite an executive yet. That is my long term goal. However, if I were to be told that at the age of 16, I would have told you. Absolutely not. There is no way that is going to happen. I would have said that I want to open up my own salon, start my own business, and, you know, going to college was not an option at all.
Christina Barlas
It just did not seem possible. It didn't seem realistic for me, given that my current situation and how things were, and I actually would have told you, you know, I really want to follow in the footsteps of my family members. I came from a lot of self-made business owners, relatives. And, you know, it just it did not seem like I would ever go to college.
Christina Barlas
I also felt very passionate about that. I felt like I could be successful on my own. And while I don't necessarily doubt that, I believe I could have been successful, I am, you know, very thankful for how my path played out. And I just I would have been so shocked I would not have believed you at all.
Nathan James
Yeah. I mean, you're you journey with education has been unique in that sense, right? I mean, you weren't.
Christina Barlas
Yes.
Nathan James
Pro college right. Growing up that was not your thing. Maybe even anti college. I don't know.
Christina Barlas
I know yes I.
Nathan James
Was like I.
Christina Barlas
I was I was.
Nathan James
So folks who were talking about going from anti college to eventually bachelor's degree and you didn't stop there. You went to your MBA. That's crazy. But we're still going to go back. We're gonna stay back. So, I know that in high school, you had a, a really tough and traumatic experience, and, it was a traumatic home invasion that completely.
Nathan James
I mean, it it affected and derailed your high school education and, experience. Could you bring us into that time period? How did that event really shape and change the relationship that you had with with school?
Christina Barlas
Sure. So it's interesting today actually makes it ten years, since that might happen. So it's very meaningful to be here today and talking about it. So yeah. So when I was 16, we were sleeping one night and someone broke in. At the time, I thought there was absolutely no way that I or my family would survive.
Christina Barlas
It sounded like they did have a gun based off of the noise when he came into our house. And, you know, long story short, thankfully, we were okay. We did survive. Of course, no one was hurt. However, my home was turned into what literally looked like a murder scene. So there was blood splattered throughout the house on the walls, the furniture just everywhere.
Christina Barlas
Glass was shattered. And immediately at that moment, I felt like this was no longer my home. I no longer had a home. I can't even explain that feeling. You know, when you feel unsafe in your own home, it is extremely difficult to feel safe anywhere else. Unfortunately. So I knew that at that moment, my life would never, ever be the same.
Christina Barlas
So I actually went to school the next morning because I didn't want to stay home, but I did not have any sleep at all that night before, and I was just completely in shock. You know, I had no idea how to process what had just happened. And actually, one of my teachers in school, he said, hey, Chrissy, are you you know, are you okay?
Christina Barlas
What's what's going on? You don't seem like yourself. And I did not feel like myself at all. I just remember being very withdrawn and almost kind of lifeless. I just, like I said, I had no idea how to process that. And from that moment on, I started to lose interest in a lot of the things that I once loved.
Christina Barlas
So prior to that night, I truly did love school. I loved spending time with my friends and all of those fun moments I would have in school. I also worked 4 to 5 nights a week after school and I just felt like I could not, you know, focus on all of those things that I once loved anymore. And instead everything sort of felt like I had to just focus on surviving.
Christina Barlas
Every day I was focused on, you know, how can I get through this day and pray that I don't have a nightmare that night before, or have a vision when I'm sitting somewhere, you know, envisioning something horrible happening? Dealing with PTSD was extremely difficult. And as a result of that, I just completely deprioritized school. It was just something that I could not, you know, really care about at the time.
Christina Barlas
And I developed a very negative perception about school, the community I was in, everything just became very dark to me. If that makes sense. And, you know, from that point on, I was like, my priority now is working. And, you know, I spent a lot of time, like I said, I work 4 to 5 nights a week.
Christina Barlas
And at this point we were also living in a hotel for a few weeks, and we lived with a family friend who lived about 30 minutes away. So the schedule itself was extremely difficult. You know, I started to be at school at 730 in the morning and then go to work after school, get off sometimes 10:11 p.m. at night, go to our friend's house and then repeat it all over again.
Christina Barlas
So it was extremely exhausting, tiring. I just felt like, you know, there was just there was nothing to really look forward to. And I really wanted a new start. So I thought, you know, well, maybe I can just, you know, be done with school and just work, you know, I can be successful. I can start my own salon eventually.
Christina Barlas
And that was sort of my thought process back then. You know, I just I had a very negative experience at that time.
Nathan James
Yeah, that's a lot. That is it is a lot, a lot. And so you had this vision, like you said, you know, you had a tradition of business entrepreneurship right from your family, and you had this vision of going into the salon world, which you you went ahead and and you went forward with that. I know it was familiar.
Nathan James
And as you said, hey, more school. That's that's not that's not the thing. Right? It's not where it's at. Eventually, though, you pivoted away from the salon world, and I'm just really curious for you. What was the moment right where you said this actually isn't for me?
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So at the time I, like I said, I was very anti school, actually. And you know, after Home Invasion, we ended up moving. So I had transferred schools in a completely different community. And that school actually had a cosmetology program. So I was able to earn my cosmetology license by the time I graduated. And I started working in a salon right away, of course, and I'd say about maybe 6 to 8 months in, I was like, I don't like going to work at all.
Christina Barlas
And at the time I kind of thought, you know, well, who really feels like going to work, you know, is work actually supposed to be fun or enjoyable? And I kind of just kept that thought in the back of my mind for some time, but then it just, I it got so bad because I was working several ten hour days a week and just I felt very tired.
Christina Barlas
I just, I was not happy. And I was like, wait a minute, this is not really what I like to do. And I was actually given the opportunity to support the salon's marketing efforts with social media marketing as well as in-person marketing. And as I did those things, I realized, oh, I actually like doing this. You know, it felt like it came very natural to me also with selling products and promoting products.
Christina Barlas
I was like, I'm very good at this stuff, and I actually really like doing it. So of course I was kind of in denial at first. You know, I thought, I don't want to go back to school because I so had that negative perception in my mind that school was just not it wasn't worth it. Right. So I, you know, sort of battled with that thought for some time.
Christina Barlas
nd then I was like, okay, I actually do need to start looking into going back to school because this is just not a fit for me. And I'm way too young to be, you know, this unhappy and, you know, stuck in a career. I wasn't stuck, I had that opportunity to make that change very early on.
Nathan James
Eventually you did make your decision. You did decide, okay, I'm going to actually do this. I'm going to go forward with the college thing. And you just had a role at Umkc. What made you choose, you know, us and what was the best degree for you at that time? Right? I mean, I'm just trying to imagine, okay, I have a history of not liking school.
Nathan James
Fine. Looks like I'm gonna have to do this. Now. You're looking at this potentially blank slate. Like like like you're an artist. Now, you got to paint this picture of what kind of educational path you want to, you know, chart for yourself. How do you end up picking this specific degree that you did.
Christina Barlas
Right. So that's actually an interesting story as well. So yeah, you MGC was not at all a top pick or even an initial thought for me. So back then I remember thinking, well, community college is going to be the cheapest, the easiest. And at the time I was like, well, I can just go to school for business and then eventually specialize in something like marketing.
Christina Barlas
So I started to research the local community college and I was like, this is just not really exciting to me. Like, I didn't see myself going to the campus and taking those classes. And I was also like, how am I going to juggle this with so working because I so needed to work full time and it just did not seem realistic.
Christina Barlas
So I just kind of kept putting it off, putting it off like I, you know, I was supposed to register so many times and I was like, I just, I don't feel like doing this. I just, you know, and again, I thought that it was that I just didn't really care for school. So I continued to research, just out of curiosity to see what else was out there.
Christina Barlas
And at the time, a lot more online universities had started to build up their presence. And of course, being in Maryland, you see a lot of UMD, see commercials. So I'd always seen them, but I wasn't really sure of what UMD actually offered. However, there was a girl I went to high school with. I noticed that she went to UBC, so I reached out to her and I said, hey, you know, what was your experience?
Christina Barlas
How did things go? You know, all that? And she was like, oh, it's been awesome, I love it. The instructors are so supportive. So I did a little bit more research, talk to some, JC advisors, and I found out that I could get my entire bachelor's degree through a young JC, which was even better because I community college, I was only going to be able to get an associate's, so and I also found out, you know, young JC was the pricing was similar and online courses, it was accelerated everything was just it seemed like a total fit.
Christina Barlas
So I had initially enrolled for the graphic communications program. And, you know, part of that was because I, I've always loved that creative side and was really interested in graphic design and whatnot. Kind of goes back to my childhood where I would always create different, like books or cards, things like that. I absolutely loved art, so it's kind of interesting how that played out, but while I was in one of my classes, there was someone who mentioned that her major was digital media and web technology, and I know it's now known as digital and web design, but that particular program sort of caught my eye.
Christina Barlas
I was like, oh, what is that? So I started to do some more research and look into it, and I realized I was like, oh, this is really what I want to do. So it was similar in a sense that it was still creative. However, with that specific program, there was a greater focus on, using technology for things like graphic design, Photoshop, web design, all of those things.
Christina Barlas
So I switched my major and I just immediately fell in love with the entire program. I was so excited. That was the moment where it finally hit me like, oh, so when you do actually love what you do, it makes a big difference. And I knew that right then and there that was a fit for me and it was just so exciting.
Christina Barlas
I mean, even those general education required classes, I, I love them because I was just so excited to get my degree and, you know, be doing what I was doing and eventually get a job in that area. So it really fell into place perfectly.
Nathan James
Oh, so essentially, you fell in love with school?
Christina Barlas
I did it, I did, and.
Nathan James
When I was young.
Christina Barlas
Yeah, yeah. I mean, when I was young, I, I always love learning. It was just that moment in my life where everything just, you know, sort of put a bad taste in my map. And I was able to rediscover my love for learning. And I'm thankful for that.
Nathan James
That is special. Yeah.
Christina Barlas
Yes it is.
Nathan James
Okay. So now you at the same time weren't just going to school full time and not working. You had this dual thing going on where you're working, not just one. But I understand multiple jobs, right as you are striving through your degree. So what was that like, holding everything together, even as you finish out your bachelor's?
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So that was a very hectic time in my life. However, like I said, I was just so excited, and, you know, all of that hard work was worth it. But so I at the time, I worked at a golf course and I would go to work around 7:00 am, so I had to wake up pretty early, and then from there I would actually go to another job, which was at a construction company, and get there around 1:00 2:00, work a few hours there and get off around five.
Christina Barlas
And I actually had also picked up a micro internship during my bachelor's program. So I had to sort of fit that project in as I could. So what I had, you know, free time here and there, I would sort of work on that. And of course, I was also still in school, so typically what I would do is I sometimes had free time at work, but I was able to work on some of my schoolwork.
Christina Barlas
And then besides that, I would have to work on it as soon as I got home and pretty much until I went to bed. So I it was extremely hectic. I was very busy, to say the least. However, it was very rewarding to get past that and now look back and think, oh, that was so worth it.
Nathan James
Okay. And folks, once again, you're listening to the Unstoppable Stories podcast. If you want more to hear stories like, what you're hearing now from Christina, make sure you like and subscribe. And we're here for you. Tell us about this project, a really cool project that you got to do, for a local recreational facility. Right.
Nathan James
What problem did they have? And, and what was the solution that you ended up building for them?
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So I had the opportunity to take on a micro internship, which I know a lot of people aren't familiar with those, but they're short term internships that are meant to be sort of quick assignments that are meant to give you more experience, which are great if you're working and maybe can't commit to a full time internship or something like that.
Christina Barlas
So yep. So I took on this micro internship. It was for Maryland Sportsplex, which was happened to be very local to me, and so they had asked me, you know, to put a marketing plan together for them. And they felt like they had a lot of potential, but they just really weren't sure what to do. And in terms of, you know, promoting their facility and their offerings.
Christina Barlas
So I sat down and researched their facility, you know, what they were offering. And what they were doing in terms of marketing and as well as their website. And from there I also conducted some general research just on marketing, sort of went back to some my notes from school and such, and I put together.
Nathan James
Doing all this at the same time. You're putting this plan together for them while also studying at UMGC. So it's like you're applying what you're learning in real time. Yeah.
Christina Barlas
Yeah. And it was it was great. For that reason, I was able to actually really apply that new knowledge I had gained from my classes and, you know, gain some real life experience. So as I was creating the marketing plan, I focus on a few different things. But it was a complete plan. So I covered their current audience and target audience, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Christina Barlas
Any of their goals. And then I went over different strategies for marketing. So everything from branding to digital marketing to print marketing, I covered all of those different components, and they were very satisfied with the end product. And I have to say, it was just such a great experience. It took me about a month to complete and it was it was really cool because it it gave you that just that short little glimpse into this business.
Christina Barlas
And I'm it was so cool that it was local, but it was really good experience for me and, great opportunity.
Nathan James
Yeah. No kidding. Micro internships. Okay. And from my understanding, that's something you like to talk about a lot. These days, micro internships based on what you, got to experience there and the experience you got there. And a lot of time. So, folks, remember, this is a new term to me and micro internships. Remember that. Take that with you.
Nathan James
That can be super helpful on your journey. Okay. Well, so you went on to earn your bachelor's degree. You can stop there. You did not. You went to your masters degree, the MBA. And not only did you complete your MBA, but you ended up doing that with a 4.0 GPA. Shout out to you, especially given your journey with education.
Nathan James
And here you are now, just killing it on the graduate level stage, right? That's amazing. But even the graduate level, sort of chapter for you had challenges. There were subjects that you weren't a fan of. So you were intimidated, I think, by the finance, the subject of finance, which is definitely in the MBA program. Right.
Nathan James
So take us into a moment where, you know, let's say you're studying for an exam right in finance or for one of these subjects. And how did you push through the fear and anxiety? Right. That comes with, with, with studying a topic that really just brings that anxiety right to the surface.
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So I was, of course, challenged by my bachelor's program. However, the MBA program challenged me on a complete different level. And, you know, there were several core courses that were very unfamiliar to me. So that included things like business analytics, accounting and financial management. Those were all like foreign languages to me. I had no idea. They were just very new and different subjects to me.
Christina Barlas
So there were so many times where I just felt so frustrated, lost, confused, and I usually what I had to do is I had to take a minute and think, okay, you know, like, this isn't necessarily supposed to be easy and is supposed to challenge you. And I know that I have always learned the most whenever I am the most challenge.
Christina Barlas
So I would take a step back and think, you know, okay, take a breath and just sort of refer back to my notes, you know, go a little bit slower and really take that time to sort of reset because it was extremely easy to get very frustrated as I was studying for an exam or even completing assignments, I had to just walk away several times in between plenty of assignments.
Christina Barlas
And, you know, thankfully, actually, all of my exams were open notes, so I had that opportunity to refer to notes. And throughout those courses that were more challenging to me, I was always sure to keep very detailed notes. That way I could refer back to them. Even though I took so much time. I wrote down every little thing that also helps me to remember his writing.
Christina Barlas
So I would just sit there and write down so much by hand. And it did help. However, it was, it was definitely very challenging. But like I said, those challenging moments were the moments where I truly did learn the most. And by taking those classes, I've really been able to apply them to my current role. Now. So it was worth it in the end.
Nathan James
There you go. So all right, here you are now, living the dream.
Nathan James
As we all call it. Right. You're now at the W.R. Grace. W.R. Grace, it's a global specialty chemical company, folks. It is a much more formal environment, I'd say, than, let's say, you know, working in salon has you had in the past, for example. So, it's a it's been a change of pace. So, I'm going to ask you again, 16 year old Christina looking at herself working in this capacity compared to what you were originally aspiring to the feel of it.
Nathan James
What's it like to be working in this company and to work your way up the corporate ladder compared to the track that you were on before?
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So it has definitely been challenging. You know, I have pivoted several times in my career to different industries or different roles, and with each of those changes, I always had to learn so much and grow so much. So there have been plenty of moments where I have doubted myself and thought, am I going to be able to learn this?
Christina Barlas
Or, you know, am I able to keep up with this, especially in this current role at my current employer? You know, I started here two years ago. I started as a marketing automation specialist, and that was my first job after my bachelor's degree. And when I first started working here, I immediately noticed, oh, I'm the youngest on the team and everyone else on my team.
Christina Barlas
They were either managers, senior managers, directors and up. So I was very intimidated. And, you know, they also had very technical backgrounds. I work with a lot of chemical engineers, and I chemistry was my worst subject in high school. So the fact that I'm even here working today is kind of crazy, because I never would have seen that for myself.
Nathan James
Yeah. Wow. Look at that.
Christina Barlas
Yeah.
Nathan James
The iron.
Christina Barlas
So yeah, it was it was challenging, especially in those first initial meetings that I had. I felt like I was just so lost and I had no idea what was going on. And there are still moments where I feel the same way sometimes just because, you know, like I said, everyone here has a technical background. They have a lot of experience.
Christina Barlas
You know, I just have to remind myself that everyone does start somewhere, you know, you have to put that into perspective and, you know, remind yourself that you can do this. You can learn this. I there's not a single job. I look back at now and think, oh, I wasn't able to do that because I was I was able to accomplish everything that I put my mind to.
Christina Barlas
And, you know, I just got promoted about a month ago. And even in this new role now. Thank you. I, dealing with the same thing. This is a very different area. However, it's very exciting because it incorporates a lot of my MBA, coursework and skills that I learned during that program. However, it's just it's it's very intimidating because I'm, you know, preparing to now go to meetings with customers who are executives from big pharmaceutical companies and other chemical companies.
Christina Barlas
And it's it's very intimidating. I sit there sometimes I'm like, am I really about to do this or am I capable of doing this? But like I said, you know, I try to stay confident and remember that I have to start somewhere. I have to learn. And I also mentioned before, when you are challenged the most, you tend to learn the most.
Christina Barlas
So I'm excited to see where things go. But they're definitely up in plenty of moments where I'm just like, oh, this is very difficult.
Nathan James
You mentioned that you you've mentioned the past. You love to make the most of wherever you go, wherever you go, and serving on boards and leading the No Kid Hungry fundraiser. Right. That's really cool. Why is it important for you to take on these extra leadership roles? Right. In addition to, your day job that we've been talking about?
Christina Barlas
Yes. So if you can't tell. I'm someone who loves to be very busy, but I tend to take on these other leadership roles or tasks because I do believe you should make the most of wherever you are. And, you know. So that includes during my my, the bachelor's program I was in, I had, I was elected to the board for two student led organizations.
Christina Barlas
So National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the American Marketing Association. So I served on both of those boards. And then now in my current role at Grace, I am communications director for our Women's Employee Resource Group, serving on the Globe Board of Directors, and in addition to that, I have also supported our companies no Kid Hungry fundraiser that we hold once a year for the past two years, but this year I'm actually going to be leading it.
Christina Barlas
So bigger challenge now, but I will say that with each of these opportunities that I've been able to take on, I first of all I will say that they are just so rewarding. I do truly enjoy taking them on and, you know, sort of making that difference, having that impact and, you know, adding some positivity here and there.
Christina Barlas
So that's the first thing. But in addition to that, I also will say that they are such a great way to gain new experience and skills, also network and meet so many amazing people. You know, just by joining those, student organization boards, I was able to meet so many different people. And actually one and I found out, you know, she was pretty close to me, which is really cool.
Christina Barlas
So, you know, that opportunity was great because it it sort of gave me a different experience from just taking my classes. And then at my employer now, by serving on our board of directors, it gives me that opportunity to meet people across the company and literally across the world that I would have not met if I wasn't on the board.
Christina Barlas
So, you know, that in itself is just so rewarding and great. And, you know, I'm gaining leadership skills because I am someone who eventually, someday wants to work my way up to an executive level. And those skills are great to build, work on and of course, add to your resume. So, you know, I, I think there's so much value in making the most of wherever you go, even though it's extra work, I believe that it truly is worth it.
Nathan James
Yeah. So looking back at your timeline now, you've tried everything from medical office work to construction administration before finding, you know, the lane that you're in now. Right. And you're doing so well. And what advice do you have for someone who feels lost because their first career choices didn't work out?
Christina Barlas
Yes. There were so, so many times where I felt very lost and hopeless and like, I had no idea what I was doing or what I was going to do. And, you know, I think it's definitely very challenging when you come to that realization that, oh, this career isn't a fit for me. It's it's definitely kind of disappointing.
Christina Barlas
I would say. However, you know, I think that it is important that you go through those phases because that's really how you figure out what you like to do. So I'm very thankful to have found my path at a very young age. But there were, you know, so many times where I just felt lost. I, you know, and there were it was very challenging to make those moves.
Christina Barlas
However, if you just sit back and don't do anything, then you know you're not going to be happy with it and you might regret your decision. You might wonder, oh, what if I did this? And that's not good either, right? So I would really just, you know, approach it step by step and put things in perspective like, okay, what exactly do I need to do to get here to this next step?
Christina Barlas
What does that look like? And I would also take time to think about different career careers and what really appealed to me and my interests. So as I mentioned earlier on, you know, creative things always sort of came naturally to me as a child. But prior to determining that that was my the area I was going to study, I had considered so many different careers.
Christina Barlas
So things in the medical field and, like, physician's assistant and sonographer, there were just so many different jobs that I had considered. But I think it's really important to think about what it is that you love to do. And like I said, just sort of approach that step by step. You know, what is what are the steps that I need to take to get to where I want to be?
Nathan James
So yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, Christina, for our listeners who are hesitating to go back to school or pivot their current careers because they think it's too late or because they aren't academic enough or scholarly enough, right. Well, what is your message to them, about becoming unstoppable?
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So I would say my biggest message to them would be if you have a passion, a goal or a dream, go for it. You know, it is never, ever too late. And even though it might seem very challenging or like there's a long road ahead, don't let that stop you. You know it. It definitely can be extremely challenging at times, and sometimes you might doubt yourself and wonder, is this really worth it?
Christina Barlas
But I, I speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that it is all worth it in the end. And you should never, ever sit back and you know, not go for whatever it is that you want, and I can guarantee that you will be so happy in the end. And, you know, along the way, make sure you always remind yourself of that end goal and where you will be someday, because it definitely will be worth it in the end.
Nathan James
Wonderful. If you had. I love this. All right. You are. You have a goal to eventually write a book.
Christina Barlas
I do.
Nathan James
Love it. All right. Okay, so, if you could write one chapter. Okay. In that book dedicated to that 16 year old girl struggling with anxiety, right. And after even the home invasion, what would the title of a chapter like that be? What would you say?
Christina Barlas
Yeah. So I would love to write a book someday and share my experiences and stories to inspire others. You know, I think there's so much I have learned and I would love to share that. But if I had to title a chapter that was focused on the time frame when I was 16, I would call it probably what felt like the end.
Christina Barlas
And, you know, not to be dramatic, but that is literally what it felt like for me. You know, I was dealing with PTSD and constantly having to worry about having nightmares or horrible visions of, you know, things that might happen to me and feeling unsafe in literally every environment I was in. And, you know, it literally felt like the end.
Christina Barlas
I really wanted a new start at that time, and I just I felt so hopeless. So I think that's definitely the most suitable title for that chapter. And the other part of it too is, yes, it felt like the end, but it wasn't the end. It actually felt more of like a new beginning eventually, after some time to me.
Christina Barlas
So from there, even though, you know, the home invasion was such a horrible situation and no one should have to ever live through something like that, there was good that came out of it. And if it means I'm here sharing my story today and inspiring others, then you know, that's great. I always try to find the good in things, and I think that's so important to do, and I, I although I'm not the same person, I definitely learned so much.
Christina Barlas
I'm so grateful for that. And it has, you know, it really has inspired me to do so much more. And with that, I actually even want to start a scholarship someday. That would be dedicated to victims of crime.
Nathan James
Yeah. Fantastic. And I can't wait for that book to come out, so let us know. Oh, well, you know, let us know. And and thank you for being so willing to share your story. I mean, in the book, that we're looking forward to. But, during our conversation here, I know I'm finding it inspiring.
Nathan James
Right. And, I know our listeners are as well. So thank you. Thank you. I appreciate you. You've come a long way. And simultaneously, I think, is just the beginning for you. So, definitely cheering for you. And appreciate you being on.
Christina Barlas
Thank you.
Nathan James
Yeah. And everybody listening and watching. Remember to, like, remember there. Subscribe. If you want to hear and see more unstoppable stories, like Christina's, remember, you can catch episodes even in on our previous season, season one or earlier episodes. And in this season two, but, until next time, we're here for you.
Nathan James
And, we'll see.