Kristy Montes was born and raised in California. She attended California State University, Northridge, majoring in Child and Adolescent Behavior. Kristy moved to Texas to be closer to her family. She is a mom of two energetic kids and has been married for 12 years to Franklin. Kristy has 12+ year serving families and youth experiencing homelessness, drug abuse, and domestic violence. She was introduced to Restorative Practices in 2018 while working at Dobie Middle School in Austin as a Youth Advisor for Council for At-Risk Youth (CARY). It was there where she blended the CARY curriculum with Restorative Practices. After completing her Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary with the desire to work in church ministry or chaplaincy, she felt that her direction was changing. This led her to engage with Restorative Practices at Pflugerville High School, where she created a brave space for restorative conversations and developed a re-entry plan for students who were coming back from their alternative placement. Currently, she is the Training and Technical Assistance Professional for STEP UP Texas serving Williamson County. Kristy has a heart for people and hopes to share Restorative Practices to students and school professionals.