Cristina Oxtra is a Filipino American author who was born and raised in the Philippines. She earned an MFA in creative writing for children and young adults at Hamline University and a BA in journalism. She writes fiction and nonfiction, from picture books and chapter books to middle grade and graphic novels. She received the 2019-2020 Mirrors & Windows Fellowship at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. Besides writing, she is a full-time educator overseeing a college readiness program that supports underrepresented students.