ATHENA® Award

Christi Sychterz Terefenko was born and raised in downtown Reading, PA. She attended Lehigh University where she received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and then Johns Hopkins University where she received a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. After graduate school Christi relocated to Virginia where she began her career in medical research which lasted for the next 20 years.

She moved back to Berks County in 2001, continued to work as a research consultant, and began to become involved in nonprofit work locally. She volunteered for many organizations and served on several boards, using her experience in medical research, technical/proposal writing, and organizational leadership to assist nonprofits create positive change in the community. Moved by the desire to serve others, in 2015, Christi and 2 close colleagues co-founded VOiCEup Berks, a nonprofit which seeks to connect people to meaningful volunteer and service-learning opportunities. She has subsequently transitioned away from medical research and into the organization’s Executive Director position where she seeks to inspire others – especially youth — to service as well.