Karen Walker, English

Education: A.A. in general studies from SRJC, B.A. in psychology and M.A. in English from Sonoma State University and Ph.D. in English from UC Davis.

Experience: 10 years of part-time teaching and vocational experience at SRJC and UC Davis.

Most interesting thing about you that students wouldn’t suspect: “Aside from teaching English, I create art. In fact, I invite anyone to visit my office hours and take a look at a set of tarot cards I made.”

If you weren’t teaching at SRJC: “I would probably be creating objects, paintings, books and cards for a business I’d recently invented, Bonehouse.”

Advice for students: “As someone who started here at SRJC – without the necessary academic preparation and as a single mother waiting-tables full time – I can tell you that it can be done, despite enormous obstacles. The magic ingredient for me was ‘hunger’: I wanted it.”