Kirsten Hockaday was born in Niagara Falls, New York and lives in Collins, Missouri. She graduated from Lewiston-Porter High School in 1972. Kirsten served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1976 to 1999, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant/E8. While on active duty, Kirsten was deployed to Somalia in 1993 in support of Operation Restore Hope. She earned a BS in Information Systems from Devry University in 1998, a master's degree in Information Systems Management and a master's degree in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management in 2002.
Kirsten Hockaday's career experience includes working on various farms in high school, working as a tour guide and driver in Niagara Falls before enlisting in the Marine Corps. After retiring from the Marine Corps, she worked as a computer programmer and Project manager for Sprint. She retired from Sprint in 2009 and started two businesses: Boulder Summit Kikos and P&K Orchards. She subsequently sold the Boulder Summit Kikos business in 2015. She is currently active in the Democratic Committe in St. Clair County and is a member of the Altar Guild at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Clinton, Missouri.