Kristin Fairchild brings more than 40 years of experience working with young people through 
teaching, coaching, program development, and nonprofit leadership. She holds a B.S. in Human 
Sciences with a concentration in Family and Child Development from Auburn University and has been recognized with multiple community awards for her work with youth.

Kristin founded Chain Reaction in 2003 and has spent more than two decades developing and 
refining its approach to youth development. She pioneered the use of service and volunteerism as a hands-on method for helping teens build leadership, soft skills, life skills, grit, purpose, and direction for what comes after high school.

Her expertise includes youth development, curriculum and program design, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and the use of data to continually improve outcomes. Under her leadership, Chain Reaction has developed a model that meets teens where they are while helping them build the skills, confidence, and experiences needed to graduate and successfully pursue college, technical training, military service, or the workforce.

Kelcie Vanosdall brings 19 years of experience working with young people, including international experience and the past two years with Chain Reaction’s Grit to Greatness program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management.

Kelcie specializes in meeting teens where they are and helping them overcome barriers to graduation and future success. Through individualized guidance, she helps students develop confidence, communication, responsibility, and essential soft skills while exploring pathways to college, technical training, military service, or the workforce. She also works closely with families to strengthen accountability and support.

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Over the past two years, Kelcie has worked with approximately 80–100 teens annually. Among participating seniors, 100% graduated, with approximately 70% pursuing college or technical education. She also helps evaluate and adapt Chain Reaction’s curriculum to better meet student needs and improve outcomes.

Kayla Popek holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of West Florida and has approximately five years of experience working with young people, including three years working specifically with teens.

Kayla’s strength is her ability to build genuine, trusting relationships with young people. She 
understands that many teens are navigating uncertainty about their future and may not yet see the opportunities available to them. Through strong listening skills, positivity, consistency, and relatability, she creates an environment where teens feel respected and supported while still being challenged to grow.

Kayla is also highly detail-oriented and helps manage the many individual steps required for 
students to make meaningful progress. Her work includes supporting resumes, service projects, individual goals, parent and teen communication, and consistent follow-through. Her combination of relationship-building and attention to detail helps students stay engaged while developing the confidence, soft skills, and direction needed for success in high school and beyond.