Kari earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and graduated summa cum laude from St. Cloud State University in 2000. She went on to work in Child Protective Services for seven years before opting to stay home with her kids. As the years passed, she continued adding to her diversified experience portfolio: working full-time for DSS, filling the busy role of a stay-at-home and homeschool mom, serving part-time in various youth, family, and music ministries, and recently working for the school district.

The Lord has now led Kari to become involved with Sacred Journey Academy. Her beliefs about education align with the vision and heart of the school, and she’s excited to be in a space where Christian values are sought after instead of encouraged to be silenced.

Kari continues serving in various ministry roles at her church. Out of them all, she says her favorite is leading worship behind the piano and singing over the Body of Christ. Kari loves to see the Lord use music to lead people to a space of knowing Him more intimately. One of her guiding verses is Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” This reminds her, whether in a worship service or in the day-to-day busyness of life, to slow down and lean in to what God has in store and what only He can do, instead of relying on her own actions and agenda.

Kari and her husband, Steve, have four children – Ashlyn (18), Sira (16), Olivia (13), and Drew (9). They live on a hobby farm where they care for a small flock of Shetland sheep, three horses, two dogs, a flock of chickens, and a few barn cats. Kari enjoys riding horses as well as “digging in the dirt,” which sometimes yields some vegetables as a reward.

The Christians attend The Church in the Pines (Osakis Campus).