Krystal’s Story

Many residents began the summer by celebrating graduation from higher education programs. Resident Krystal, who moved into Warren Village in 2021, graduated on May 12 from Metro State University of Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minor in Criminalistics. 

Krystal restarted her college journey when she moved into Warren Village, and found more support this time around. “I started college in 2008 when I graduated from high school,” says Krystal. “No one in my family had been to college. I was blindly going into it. I struggled to keep my grades up while working.” She felt pressure to take the traditional college route, which wasn’t accessible to her and her life at the time. When Krystal moved into Warren Village, she was able to take the time to finish her degree. “It’s a different experience being older,” Krystal notes. “School is much more adaptable now, which made me want to stay focused and feel less stressed.”

Krystal grew up in low-income housing in a rough part of town. “Seeing crime while growing up made me wonder why people do horrible things to each other,” she remembers. These experiences sparked her love of forensics and interest in the psychology of crime. She hopes to turn this passion into a career at a mental health center or with the police department.

Warren Village has given Krystal the space, resources, and support to pursue not only a bachelor’s degree, but hopefully this fall, a master’s degree, as well. “It’s OK to only think about yourself and do things for yourself to be better. I learned that here at Warren Village,” Krystal says. “Being here brought me a lot of peace and understanding, and helped me leave toxicity in my past.” She knows that she has always been capable of reaching her goals, and graduating as a single mother with her 5-year-old son watching was an emotional day. “I spent a lot of my life trying to fix people rather than focusing on myself,” she acknowledges. “Now, being a mom, I realized that I have to stop doing that. I’m going back to school for my son. You can do anything. It’s hard work, but it can be done.”