To me, Girls Hope means a safe place for girls to live, and gain access to opportunities that they otherwise may not have had access to at home.

Karen came to Boys Hope Girls Hope at the age of 12. She attended St. Joseph’s for grade school and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart for high school, where she was involved in the theater program and track and field. Karen described the Boys Hope Girls Hope program as helpful and she is grateful for what the program was able to provide her. “To me, Boys Hope Girls Hope means a safe place for girls to live, and gain access to opportunities that they otherwise may not have had access to at home.”

The Boys Hope Girls Hope program provided Karen the opportunity to meet many strong, positive role models, who helped shape her into the woman she is today. “[Boys Hope] Girls Hope has enabled me to succeed, and taught me that you can overcome any obstacles in your path if you work at it long enough and hard enough.”

Karen earned a degree in Fine Arts from Kent State University and graduated Cum Laude.