CHRISTINE REIDHEAD

Educator and Humanitarian, Christine Reidhead, is an Assistant Professor and the Founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Organization, AfrikRising. The youngest of five children, she was born in Mesa, Arizona to Phyllis and Daniel Cluff. Christine is a native of Benson, Arizona, where she learned the importance of hard work and dedication. She had the pleasure of growing up in a great and supportive community. After graduating from Benson High School in 1997, she attended Pima Community College where she played on the college's basketball team. After transferring to Eastern Arizona College, Christine continued to play basketball and earned an Associate’s degree in General Studies in 2004. She then went on to attend Prescott College, where in 2009, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, before also earning her Master’s of Science in Accountancy from the University of Phoenix. Now at Grand Canyon University, she is just one year away from completing the school's Doctoral Leadership and Organizational Development program.

During Christine's professional career, she has used her academics to gain several roles in the field of education, starting in 2011, she began working as an Accountant with Navajo Technical University. This position opened the door for her to then serve as a Director of Athletics, Wellness Center Manager and Contracts and Grants Manager with the same university. Today, she now works as the university's Assistant Professor of Business and Program Manager for the Department of Transportation Grant. She is also a Business and Education Department Chair and Faculty Vice President.

Alongside these roles, Christine serves her own nonprofit organization, AfrikRising, which provides critical resources to the children of Africa who face starvation, educational limitations, and health disparities. Whether it is in her own local community or multiple populations across the world, it has always been her desire to help others, especially children. Following this desire, Christine currently sits on the Board for Habitat for Humanity and Family Promise of Albuquerque. She also hosts her own podcasts which focus on nonprofits, advocacy, the Tribal College Movement and sports talk. Outside of this and her career, she works tirelessly in serving as a positive example for her two amazing sons. It is her mission to make for certain that they always know the importance of education and feel the joy of helping those who need it most.

NATIVE AMERICAN

Christine has worked at a Tribal College for 7 years on the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation has had persistent, severe poverty since 1868 after the storied Long Walk and Navajo internment. Parts of the Nation have a poverty rate of 52.80% and the overall rate is well over 30% and has some of the worst rates for education, health, housing, violent crime, and economic activity in the U.S. She wants to make a difference in the lives of the Native American people.