Karen is the mother of five children, one of which is a special needs child. Her undergraduate studies were covered by Ohio’s Safety Officer’s Memorial Fund that covered her instructional costs, but they do not cover beyond a bachelor’s degree. Karen hopes to receive a scholarship to continue her education and participate fully in her children’s lives without needing to work full-time or incurring significant student debt. Her goal is to help others deal with traumatic life events through clinical mental health counseling.

Outside of her academic activities, she spends most of her time caring for her daughter with special needs and two other siblings since their father’s death. Karen was involved with the school PTA for her children until her husband passing and more recently served as Secretary for the Kent State Trumbull Student Government.

Her Psychology professor writes, “Karen is always organized and motivate. She is in the top 10% of her class. Karen is respectful, insightful, self-aware, and very nurturing to those around her. Your scholarship would not just fund a worthy student but will benefit all who she works with.”