Karen

Karen is a writing mentor and English language educator with over ten years of experience teaching academic writing, English composition, creative writing, and English language courses in higher education. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with a minor in International Studies from Soka University of America. Originally from Peru, Karen began her higher education journey locally before moving to the U.S. and Japan to complete her degrees. Throughout her career, she has taught at several leading universities in Peru. Today, she serves as an ESL instructor at ESAN University and works as a translator for materials across Latin America. Karen brings an international and cross-cultural perspective to mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. Her approach emphasizes open dialogue, personalized guidance, and helping students communicate their ideas with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. Drawing from the humanistic principles of Soka education, Karen views mentorship as a collaborative process built on mutual respect and the core belief that every student has the ability to develop their own potential. She enjoys helping students strengthen their writing, define their goals, navigate academic challenges, and develop the confidence to pursue their highest educational aspirations.