Karen participated in Basketball and Track and Field, earning five varsity letters from 1980-1983. She held the school record in the discus for 21 years with a toss of 127 feet, 4 inches and qualified for the Ohio State Tournament in 1983 where she placed fifth.

She played varsity basketball for three years and is among the top 15 point leaders on the all-time scoring list with 560 points. She was Co-Captain and a key member of the team that qualified for the regional tournament in 1983. Karen graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 1983.

Her academic qualifications coupled with her athletics earned her an appointment to the U. S. Coast Guard Academy where she played Women’s Basketball for two years, ran cross country, and rowed on the Women’s Crew Team for one year.

Karen graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign in 1987. She served as an officer in the U. S. Coast Guard for 24 years and retired as a Commander from the Coast Guard Reserve in 2011.

She lives in the state of Washington with her husband of 29 years and 3 children.