I chose to move to University City in 2014. I had recently completed an internship for my principal certification at Brittany Woods. After graduating with my MBA and Master’s Degree in Education Leadership, I knew that I wanted to stay not just in St. Louis, but in University City.

This connection to the School District of University City deepened when I joined Wyman’s Wraparound Services Team in 2018. I got to work in all four of our elementary schools, supporting students with additional social-emotional resources, teachers with professional development, and principals with school-based events and needs. When the pandemic hit, I transitioned immediately to organizing volunteers for food pickup across the district and serving as the site director at Barbara C Jordan. 

I have been a classroom teacher, a curriculum writer, and a teaching coach. I have worked with colleagues in school finance, human resources, and state compliance. Currently, I work with schools across the country to best use their academic and compliance data to support their students. 

I was raised with two main core values: Get a good education and give back to your community. Both have continued to drive me in life today. Growing up, I was surrounded by teachers who taught me to be curious and dive deep into the subjects I loved - which in turn, led me to want to share that love with other students. School was a place I felt safe, respected, and inspired to be the “best Karen I could be” (my dad’s favorite line!), and ultimately led me to want to do that for other young people. 

I also grew up surrounded by examples of public service. My parents were active in their local community and spent tons of time volunteering in my school and other local organizations. As I began to explore my own opportunities for public service, I was immediately drawn to schools  because of their place as pillars in our community and the opportunities they can provide to all students.