Growing up in Washington Township, NJ, Karen (Robinson) Keyes was a sports enthusiast, relishing her childhood in the thrill of various athletic activities. However, upon entering high school, she found the options for young women in sports to be somewhat limited. Initially engaging in three sports—field hockey, basketball, and cross country—Karen’s trajectory took a significant turn during her high school journey. Inspired by an upperclassman’s motivational words on the basketball team and a fortuitous introduction, she decided to channel all her efforts into basketball, harboring dreams of playing at the collegiate level.
But what propelled Karen to set her sights on the University of Notre Dame?