Kristina Anderson was a sophomore at Virginia Tech when she became one of the injured victims of the shooting tragedy of April 16th, 2007.

Working to continue the memory of her classmates and spark positive influence on campus, Kristina founded Students for Non-Violence (SNV), the student-led component of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech. Building SNV’s foundation and initial philanthropy, Kristina first learned how to activate student campaigns and inspire action towards violence prevention on her campus.

In late 2007, Kristina launched the Koshka Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to improving campus safety, educating students, and building a comprehensive network of survivors. By engaging students in the “Dear Future” essay project, Kristina hopes to raise student awareness around school safety and promote safer learning environments year round.

As an advocate for survivors of violence, Kristina formed the Immediate Help Fund in April 2012 to provide critical financial aid to victims of school violence and their families. One of her ultimate goals is to establish April 17th as National Survivor’s Day in recognition of individuals who overcome adversity.

Part of her advocacy was the creation of LiveSafe, a smartphone app aimed at stopping campus crime.

A frequent speaker, Kristina works to raise awareness on the importance of school safety and violence prevention through sharing her significant encounter with gun violence, as well as working and meeting others affected by irrational acts of aggression.

Overcoming Adversity, College, School Assembly,