Kirsten completed her Bachelor of Arts in economics with a minor in American Studies at Fordham University in Bronx, New York, and earned a Master in Education with a dual certification in special education and secondary ELA at Johns Hopkins University. Most recently, Kirsten taught English and creative writing at Western High School, an all-girls school in the Baltimore City Public School System, where she focused on instruction to 11th and 12th graders. Kirsten has a wide variety of educational experiences before becoming a full-time classroom teacher. She worked as a resident teacher for sixth and seventh grades at Lillie May Carroll Jackson School as part of the Urban Teachers program, she was a seminar facilitator at Notre Dame of Maryland for Focus on College Understanding and Success (FOCUS) and acted as Community Engagement Fellow/Elective Teacher at ACE Leadership High School as part of Jesuit Volunteer Corps.