Karen D. Pain
“Being able to complete an undergraduate degree as a fulltime student gave me the chance to make my education a priority.”
- Program: 2008 Graduate Scholarship Recipient
- Resides: West Palm Beach, FL
- Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
- Age: 45
- Community College: Palm Beach Community College
- Four-year College or University: Florida Atlantic University
- Graduate School: Nova Southeastern University
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Education / Academia, Mathematics
- Other Interests: Church / Religious Organization, Environmental Science, Outdoor / Mountaineering / Camping, Tutoring / Mentoring, Music
Biography
PROFILE: After an 18-year absence from school, Karen Pain decided to return to college. With three of her four daughters in middle or high school, she realized it would soon be time to go back to work. Without a formal education, she was concerned about where she would land.
Karen enrolled at Palm Beach Community College and completed her associate’s degree in 2002. She was eager to continue her education, but was concerned that it would be financially prohibitive. “My husband and I were raising four daughters and it was all we could do to get by; with every class I took at the community college level, we were getting closer to me having to stop school and work full-time.”
With the support of a Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, Karen was able to transfer to Florida Atlantic University and complete her bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She then returned to Palm Beach Community College, this time as a professor, teaching developmental mathematics for the last four years.
INSPIRATION: Karen is passionately committed to student success, always looking for better ways to help her students transition more smoothly into college credit classes.
ASPIRATION: After earning her master’s degree in education, Karen plans to move on to a greater concentration in developmental education as she pursues her doctorate.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Karen has been active for more than two decades in community events, including environmental and church activities. She served for nearly two years on the executive board of the Florida Developmental Education Association and organized campus activities for Math Awareness Week at Palm Beach Community College from 2005 to 2007.
ACCOLADES: Karen was named Palm Beach Community College’s Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2006. In 2007, she was co-recipient of the Florida Association of Community Colleges Exemplary Practice Award.
INTERESTING FACT: Karen is learning to play the dulcimer.
Other Scholars Like Karen
Kristina Weaver
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Indianapolis
Nasha Taylor
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
Temple University
Haydee Cuza
Graduate Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles
Hanseul Kang
Graduate Scholar
Harvard University