Karen graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science, and minored in Psychology. She worked as a Mentor and Communication Partner for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities throughout the greater Los Angeles area. As a Mentor, Karen supported the people that she worked with in the areas of academics, social skills, health, and money management. She also supported people who are part of this community as a job coach. Additionally, as a Communication Partner, Karen gained experience in using various types of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in order to help the AAC users learn to communicate with others and advocate for themselves. Karen is fluent in Spanish and joined CIWP in September of 2022.