Beyond Kent: Stories of Community and Purpose

Beyond Kent is a new alumni spotlight series featuring Kent School graduates who carry the School’s Mission into the wider world, contributing to the common good. Each story celebrates engaged citizens living with purpose, strengthening the communities they serve, and making an impact locally and beyond. 
 

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Alumni Spotlight: Cristina Lima Pistacchio '13

Cristina Lima Pistacchio '13 is a multi-lingual school psychologist in the Providence, Rhode Island, school district. From her days as Senior Prefect at Kent and as a student-athlete at Bowdoin College, through her work with Teach For America, until today, she has focused on building community, collaborating with others, and lifting others through her work.

I love working in diverse communities. Helping them recognize their strengths and what resources are out there, helping them feel safe, to ask for support when it’s needed, and support one another is so powerful.

 

“Prior to coming to Kent, I was a successful student, but I didn't have the confidence that I ended up leaving with, and I attribute that to the opportunities I had and the belief that was put into me. [Being named Senior Prefect] absolutely changed my life. Realizing that how I was treating others, helping others, or just my integrity, was seen. People saw what really mattered. It definitely made me want to pay it forward.” 

At Bowdoin College, Cristina was a two-year captain of the Varsity Rugby Team, served as a resident advisor in a freshman dorm, and was a peer health advisor. 

“I definitely took a lot of the things I learned at Kent [to Bowdoin] – to put myself out there, try new things, build community. Being a prefect at Kent, I wanted to emulate something similar, and when I was accepted to [the residential life program], I chose to be in a freshman dorm. I wanted to serve as a mentor, as that approachable person who could help with the transition to college, which was made easier for me because of my experience at Kent.”

Volunteering at a neighboring elementary school throughout college confirmed for Cristina that she wanted to continue working with children. Teach for America was the right fit because it provided an opportunity to work with younger children in an underserved community. 

“I knew I wanted to work in an underserved community, and I knew that I wanted to have the coaching that I would need to work in that kind of community and do the best I can.” 

One of the lasting lessons she learned in the program – “How important it is to collaborate, and how powerful it is to collaborate. I think in all of my experiences with groups, I learned to recognize people's strengths within the group, my own, and also others. It was nice to have that community that I could lean on, that I could collaborate with.”

At Teach for America, Cristina was the recipient of a unique honor — The Humility Award, for recognizing the limitations of one’s perspective and seeking others' opinions. “It meant a lot to me because I do try to live by that – listening to people's stories, not assuming that I can understand everything, and constantly questioning my own perspective or thinking.” 

Humility is something she brings to her leadership as well. “As I found myself in leadership roles, it was an attribute I appreciated in my own leaders and something I tried to replicate. We all have something that we’re bringing to the table and trying to lift others [up].”

Cristina has been recognized with other awards as well, including the 2024 Rhode Island School Psychologists Association (RISPA) Exemplary Graduate Student Award and a Community Organizing Award from Teach for America.

Earning a master’s and a certificate of advanced graduate study (CAGS) in counseling and educational psychology enabled Cristina to continue supporting students, but in a different way. Being fluent in Spanish and Portuguese also allows her to connect more effectively with many students and their families. 

“I saw that as a teacher, there were some areas of students' growth that I couldn't support in the way that I wanted to…Being a school psychologist has allowed me to have more of a community impact on the broader school district and on families. That has been really rewarding. I have a unique role in that I see the academic needs and social-emotional needs, and what's happening in the community, and how that's trickling into the school. Being in a classroom helped me to know what's realistic to ask of teachers, and it also made me a support for teachers. I’m not only there as a support for students, but I want to be a collaborative partner with teachers.”

The challenges she sees: 

“I've always worked in historically underserved communities, so finding enough resources for students is a big issue. Finding and fostering communities and schools where people want to stay and work despite all the challenges that they're working within can be tough.” 

And the rewards:

“I love working in diverse communities. Helping them recognize their strengths and what resources are out there, helping them feel safe, to ask for support when it’s needed, and support one another, is so powerful. Being able to give families hope.”

Leadership lessons learned over the years:

“One of the things I've learned is to be very reflective, and learning from experience, things that worked or didn't work. Listening to others, finding those commonalities, and building on them. The leaders that I appreciate the most are the ones that lead by example, build on the strengths that people already have to make everyone feel valued. You're not here to do it alone, and so helping others to feel valued and appreciated.”

Cristina’s advice for Kent students:

“Never underestimate yourself or your impact. Put yourself out there and embrace the discomfort. Discomfort is where learning happens. As for impact, people see what you don’t realize they’re seeing. A smile or a compliment could have a greater impact on someone's day than you realize. People did that for me, and it's changed my life. Kent gives you so much privilege and perspective that it would be a waste not to try to pay that forward.”