Karen was born and raised in Fairfax County, VA, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. There, she majored in History and minored in Asian American Studies. Right after her first year of college, she was able to go on a summer study abroad trip to South Africa where she became a follower of Christ.

After graduation, she moved to Germantown, MD with her mom, and for over two years worked with various cultural and information organizations as well as nonprofits in the area before joining Emmanuel.

Karen has an interest in serving the Japanese through the arts and information. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to new cities, trying out new water and board sports, and visiting college friends.