Born: Arlington, Mass. Raised in Lexington, Mass.

Family: Husband, Steve; and twin sons Michael and Matthew, who are 20.

Occupation: Secretary at Tonganoxie High School’s west campus.

Dream job as a child: Pediatrician or flight attendant.

Digging deeper: Christensen actually pursued one dream job, working as a flight attendant for American Airlines.

She loves to cook and is a “total foodie,” she said.

“Most of my vacations are planned around when and where we are going to eat,” Christensen said. “There aren’t many things that make me much happier than a great restaurant, except for maybe the additional-40-percent-off sale at Dillards.”

Christensen’s mother grew up in Marquette, near McPherson and Salina. She met Christensen’s father in Boston and they stayed in Massachusetts when they got married. They divorced when Christensen was in fourth grade. A few years later, she returned to Marquette with her mom and sister to take care of her grandmother.

“I came back kicking and screaming because it was right before my freshman year of high school,” Christensen said. “I’ve been here ever since.”

Her graduating class in Massachusetts would have been 524; Marquette’s population is about 650.

She was in one of the last graduating classes from Marquette High School in 1983.

From Marquette she majored in nursing at Fort Hays State University, but eventually switched careers and became a flight attendant. She was based out of Chicago and flew throughout the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico.

That career helped shape one of her hobbies.

“I love to travel,” she said. “I get to New York any chance I get.”

She also enjoys plays and musicals. Christensen has seen shows in New York City, Nashville, Tenn., Omaha, Neb., Minneapolis and several in Kansas City, Mo.