Karen is a Latina writer, organizer, and educator. She is a grateful wife and mother and is proud to have discovered that she is also a Unitarian Universalist after joining the UU Church of Fresno about 5 years ago. A Bay Area transplant, Karen has been a Central Valley resident off and on for the past 20 years. After returning from Santa Barbara, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Theater-Playwriting, Karen began her formal work as an educator teaching dance and theater to local youth in Coarsegold. 

She began substitute teaching in 2015 and in 2016, started working on her Single Subject Teaching Credential and Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus on social justice, multiculturalism, and action research. Karen taught High School Spanish, Dance, and Women’s Alliance at Minarets High School and Edison High School before leaving to join the UU team in 2022. 

Karen is honored to be part of the team at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno, a community that has been a source of love and support for her and family. When she’s not exploring spirituality and working for justice with the church, Karen can be found at home with her family and pets or hitting the trails with her hiking group.