Before arriving at the pulpit in Connecticut, Cruz-Pagan spent the majority of her career as a chaplain. She describes her time at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as the place where she "found her niche."

"It was a way to be with people in their pain," she reflects. "I didn’t think there was a start and stop to things. I was already preaching and involved, but the hospital was where I fit in."

Her transition to Connecticut was originally driven by a role at the Life Center, an organization led by an Eastern University alum. They needed stability and leadership, specifically in addiction recovery—a field that is intensely personal for Cruz-Pagan.

"Addiction recovery has always been my story," she shares with radical transparency. "Both my parents were addicts and are deceased. When I work in recovery, I feel like I am serving my mom or dad."

While her call to Cornerstone Baptist was unanimous, the transition has not been without its hurdles. Moving from a vibrant Spanish American Baptist background to Danielson, CT, presented a stark cultural shift.

"This has been a hard call; I am struggling," she admits candidly. "Diversity is not here in this context. It is not normal here in the quiet corner of CT. I miss my culture."

To navigate this landscape, Cruz-Pagan is participating in the "Next Church" cohort, a group specifically designed for minority pastors called to lead predominantly White churches. It is a space where she can find the validation and strategies necessary to lead effectively across cultural lines.

Perhaps the most poignant aspect of Cruz-Pagan’s theology is her understanding of "family." Her biological family history is marked by trauma; she reconnected with her father only in adulthood before his passing, and her relationship with her mother, who passed in 2023, was fraught with pain and abuse.

"We all have this expectation that 'we all have a family.' Unfortunately, that’s not true," she says.

Instead of succumbing to isolation, Cruz-Pagan expanded her definition of kinship. "My family is the church; it is the seminary. It’s the people we meet. God calls us to relationship."

For Cruz-Pagan, Palmer Theological Seminary (formerly Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as a foundational pillar of this spiritual family. She credits the seminary with providing a "safe container" that validates the whole person—not just the academic mind.

"The relationships I made at the seminary are still continuing today," she says, recalling the significance of the Koinonia Café at EBTS as a hub of connection. "It surprises me that people in ministry don’t have friends; I have so many people from various denominations because I came to EBTS."

Today, she continues her education through Palmer's preaching cohort certification program through the Kerygma Initiative by Dr. David Stark. She describes the preaching lab as arriving at the "perfect time," introducing her to literature that is educational and relevant for the socio-political climate of the country today.

"All of my training helped me to do what I am doing," Cruz-Pagan concludes. "The whole gospel validates the whole person."