Senior athlete and meme enthusiast Kaitlyn Karasek enlightens the lives of those around her and will continue to do so as she plans to further her education at Shippensburg University next fall. 

During her spare time, Karasek enjoys playing Slater softball with some of her closest friends. 

“Ever since I was young, I always grew up watching all my siblings play softball, which made me look up to them,” Karasek said. “I’ve played a lot of sports including tennis and basketball throughout my high school career, but softball is the only thing that I loved so much.” 

Of the 13 years she has been playing, Karasek found that winning the Colonial League and District XI Championships were her most memorable moments. 

“I thought it was amazing to be side by side with the girls I’ve been playing with for years and coming out on top,” Karasek said.  

When Karasek isn’t on the field, she spends time exploring the ever-evolving world of memes. Her all-time favorite memes include well-known, but distinct figures across the country.  

“I really do love memes. I used to pronounce them as me-me’s which was kind of embarrassing, but they are one of the things that actually make me laugh and conform to my sense of humor,” Karasek said. “My favorite memes include anything with Guy Fieri, Shrek, Raini Rodriguez, or Bob Duncan in it. I just find humor in really weird things sometimes.” 

As her senior year comes to an end, Karasek will take her unique sense of humor with her as she majors in Childhood Education at Shippensburg University. 

“I really loved the campus. I visited a lot of schools, but I knew as soon as I went to Ship, it was the one,” Karasek said. 

To help prepare for the future, Karasek will continue to earn the prior experience necessary as she volunteers to babysit for her family and friends.  

“Overall, I plan on working hard in college and hopefully getting a job over the summer to work with the kids before I start interacting with them in the future,” Karasek said. 

Over the years, Karasek’s love for working with children grew because of their unpredictability and urge to have fun. 

“I’ve never really had a thing that I’ve been super interested in, but I knew kids were always fun to be around,” Karasek said. “They see things differently than we do and teachers give them the foundation that they need to be a part of society. I would love to set them up for their future at a young age.” 

To be a good influence on children, Karasek discovered that its necessary to have a lot of patience, but at the same time have an amusing personality to interact with and entertain the kids. 

“I think for an early education major you need to have a lot of patience and be able to have fun,” Karasek said. “I think I possess the fun aspect and can definitely guide kids through their education.”  

Overall, Karasek wouldn’t be where she is today without the support and encouragement from her parents. 

“My biggest supporters would definitely be my parents. They have always been so positive and encouraged me in anything I do,” Karasek said. “I couldn’t be where I am without them.” 

Focusing on her academic journey, Karasek puts forth a positive mindset as she looks up to the popular American Idol judge – Randy Jackson. 

“His influence on American Idol has really affected me in a positive way,” Karasek said.  

With her funny, selfless, and outgoing personality, Karasek will be sure to earn her degree and get back to the classroom in no time.