Women Who Reign: Karen Kauffman

“We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” — Marie Curie
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Tell us about yourself along with a fun fact!
I’m a second year undergraduate at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo studying computer science. I grew up in Mountain View, CA with my brother (who is also a Cal Poly alum!) and my parents. I had the fortune of interning at Adobe this past summer, which was an incredible experience. I suppose between my involvement in the software industry and love for bay area sports teams, it becomes pretty clear I’m a Silicon Valley product. A fun fact? When I was in 8th grade, I played football at lunch every day with all my male friends. I never let gender norms get in the way of my love for sports!

What # would define your life journey?
#BeYourself. I’ve never been overly concerned with trying to “fit in” with what “the crowd” is doing. I try to be true to my own interests and values, and that has allowed me to connect with people I genuinely relate to rather than attempting to keep up with an image that wouldn’t really be who I am. It’s a tough philosophy to stick to during certain years of adolescence, but I think having a sense of individualism has served me well.