Although Karina was raised in East Palo Alto, it was not her only home. Growing up in a single mother household meant hopping around depending on her babysitter (aunt/uncle) for that day. At a young age, she learned to advocate for herself and seek community resources that would help her reach her academic and career goals. In May 2021, she graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University with a BS in Computer Science. She would not be where she is if it was not for her mentors and the community organizations she was involved in. Her journey with StreetCode began in 2018 as a student and in 2020 she mentored in the Web Development I course. She always knew she wanted to come back and work for a community organization that once gave her the tools she needed to be successful. As a part of the partnerships team at StreetCode, she wants to increase the access to technology and provide career development tools/resources for the community.

Fun Facts
In her spare time, she is catching the next flight to a random destination. Traveling heals her soul.

Inspiration
“Lo que es para ti aunque te quites. Lo que no es para ti aunque te pongas.