Kriti Mehrotra
From the moment Kristina Mills first came across our screens on CBS’ ‘Survivor’ season 49, she made it clear that she was, is, and always will be unapologetically herself due to her past experiences. She has faced numerous challenges over the years, so her gameplay was to be her authentic self, allowing her emotional, mental, and physical tasks to “recharge” her, and then form solid alliances. She hoped these connections would not only understand her but also balance out her big personality, thereby securing their places in the long run, and it truly seemed to work wonders for her.
Kristina Mills Was Inspired to be a Castaway After Watching Previous Seasons
While ‘Survivor’ has been on the air for more than 25 years as of writing, it wasn’t until season 34 in 2017 – ‘Survivor: Game Changers – Mamanuca Islands’ – that Kristina started watching the show. Her husband Richard Mills is a big fan and got her hooked, only for it to be to such an extent that she not only went on to see all the ensuing seasons but also binged every past iteration. “I love that it’s just real,” she candidly told Parade in her pre-interview. “It’s raw. It’s not like a few edited shows that are out there. It is just real people coming out here on an adventure, doing crazy stuff.”
Therefore, Kristina is convinced that she is essentially Cirie Fields from ‘Survivor: Panama – Exile Island’ owing to them being 35-year-old mothers when they entered into the game. However, it was while she was watching season 45 that she realized she should apply, as player Kaleb Gebrewold’s joy, as well as Emily Flippen’s transformation, inspired her to be happy too. She had admittedly been struggling with grief, loss, and depression since the early 2020s, so they helped her reach a place where she could finally say she didn’t want them to control her anymore.
“So, Uncle Jeffrey (host Jeff Probst), he came on the TV during that season,” Kristina revealed. “He always does his casting call, and for some reason, I just felt led. And I’ve never felt led before that. I’m like, Cirie; I like my couch! I have a very comfortable couch. But for some reason, it was just something tugging at me, and it was like, ‘You need a change.’ And so I applied, and that’s been the change.” She had no idea she would get lucky, receive callbacks, and then eventually be cast for season 49, only to have the entire production genuinely bring her back to life instead of exhausting her.
Kristina Mills Draws Strength From Her Husband, Kids and Her Mother’s Memories
In July 2010, Houston, Texas, native Kristina and Ghana immigrant Richard Mills became an official couple while attending university together, only to get engaged five years later. He reportedly popped the question in early October 2015, and they blissfully tied the knot in a beautifully cozy ceremony while surrounded by all their loved ones on January 7, 2017. The couple subsequently settled in Edmond, Oklahoma, where they have since welcomed two adorable children into the world – Kodi Adobea Mills-Tetteh in November 2019 and Jackson Mills-Tetteh in September 2020.
Unfortunately, after being pregnant for almost 18 straight months, Kristina and Richard had Irish Twins, which means the kids were born 10 months apart. Kristina eventually developed postpartum depression. The fact that the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak during this time didn’t help either, and neither did her mother’s sudden passing in 2022 from a fentanyl overdose after she had become addicted. The following few months and years felt almost hollow to Kristina, despite her best efforts to be there for her husband and children, as she knew they could be her light.
Despite her being thankful for the family she still had and the way they cared for her every step of the way, she still grappled with grief until she herself realized she shouldn’t let it control her. Thus began her journey of self-healing, in which ‘Survivor’ played a significant role, since she believes the show embodies everything her mother was in her best days – adventurous and strategic. So, she joined the cast to move forward in life, all the while making her mother proud, showing her kids that she has spirit, and underscoring how one can embrace grief in a positive manner. In other words, no matter what, her family will always remain her top priority.
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Despite a Background in Engineering, Kristina Mills is a Business Career Coach
It was in the summer of 2011 when Kristina graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, following which she kick-started her career. Her first job was in the Operations Management Leadership Program at GE Aerospace, where she served from June 2013 until shifting gears to become a Buyer at GE Oil & Gas in February 2015. During this period, she also re-enrolled at her alma mater, having decided to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Finance and Risk Management (2014-2016). While she was studying and settling into her new marriage, she also worked actively as an Integrated Scheduler at Boeing, a position she held from May 2015 to June 2018.
However, since then, Kristina has been employed at the University of Oklahoma – Price College of Business as an Associate Director of the MBA Student Experience & Coaching. She held the title of Associate Director of the Center for Graduate Student Success from July 2018 until August 2025, when she stepped down to focus more on her family and hobbies. The latter includes boxing, cycling, traveling with family, shopping with her kids, reading, and attending Broadway shows with loved ones. Kristina has since even gotten a tattoo to represent her mother and happily traveled to San Diego with her family in the summer of 2025. The now 36-year-old Harry Potter fan has a bucket list of 40 items she wishes to cross off before her 40th birthday and is working hard to realize them.
