Jeff Beri, founder of No Dogs Left Behind, inspires me with his dedication to the dogs who end up in illegal slaughterhouses in China. He and his team have rescued so many dogs. I will forever be thankful for my sweet Marie who wants nothing more than love and cuddles.”

Apache Junction resident Krystin C. Christy

Name: Krystin C. Christy

Age: 24

Town/neighborhood: Apache Junction (downtown)

When and why I moved here: I purchased my first home in Apache Junction on Jan. 6. I fell in love with the area, its family-owned businesses and its unique charm. I love the view of the Superstition Mountains and that I am only a 20-minute drive away from my parents who live in Mesa.

What I like most about living here: My favorite thing about living here is Momo no Hana, a family-owned Japanese restaurant that brings me back to when I visited Japan. My brother, who lived in Japan, lives with me and enjoys ordering in Japanese at Momo no Hana.

What I do: I am a PhD student in French literature and an adjunct professor of French.

What I like most about what I do: I love seeing my students’ progress from not being able to use French at all to personalizing it to creatively express themselves. With my research, I deeply enjoy working with medieval manuscripts and often bring elements of my work into my classroom.

Changes I’d like to see in this area: I would love if we could get a Trader Joe’s.

Favorite community cause and why: I support the Apache Junction Paws and Claws Animal Shelter for all they do in saving animals and uniting them with loving families.

My family: My household family consists of myself, my brother, our three dogs and my lizard. My brother is a PhD student in mathematics as well as a TA. I adopted my dog, Noodle, when I lived in France in 2016; and then Stella joined our pack from a rescue in Arizona; and our final addition is Marie who was rescued by No Dogs Left Behind from a slaughterhouse in China. They are a wonderful pack and such sweethearts.

My interests and hobbies: I love playing with my dogs, learning languages, reading, writing and drawing. My brother and I practice languages together in our free time. He is fluent in Japanese and conversational in Spanish and Hmong, while I am fluent in French and conversational in German and Cantonese.

The trait(s) I admire in others: I admire people who recognize a problem and then make a plan and do something to solve that problem. I feel it is easy to feel powerless, but when we put our minds to something we can achieve so much.

People who inspired me (and how): Jeff Beri, founder of No Dogs Left Behind, inspires me with his dedication to the dogs who end up in illegal slaughterhouses in China. He and his team have rescued so many dogs. I will forever be thankful for my sweet Marie who wants nothing more than love and cuddles.

My guiding philosophy: My guiding philosophy is to have a plan in life, but not to forget to live in the present. We actualize our plans with the actions we take in the present and if we only ever think of the future, we will lose the precious moments we have with those around us in the moment.