Christa Kell, Retiring After 30+ Years of Service

Christa Kell is retiring after more than 30 years of working in the Samuel Merritt/Saint Mary’s Nursing Program. Christa began her career at Samuel Merritt, teaching the Mental Health Nursing course. During this time, she assisted with the curriculum design of the Intercollegiate BSN program with Saint Mary’s College. She then became the Associate Dean of Student Services for Samuel Merritt before leaving in 1988. From 1988 to 1996 she taught Effective Helping at Saint Mary’s and had a private practice teaching birthing classes and new mothers groups. She returned to Saint Mary’s in 1996 as the advisor for BSN students and became the Director, when the 2+2 Program began in 2004.

Christa earned her BSN and MSN at UCSF. She specialized in Adolescent Psych during her graduate work.  She also has a Life Science teaching credential from Saint Mary’s College and a Counseling Credential from California State East Bay. As she enters retirement she plans to continue her education, taking classes in history, art and languages, focus on aging with health by doing exercise, yoga and meditation and volunteering to serve elders with health care issues.  She has enjoyed her long career working with wonderful students, who are now contributing to the Nursing Profession.