Karina first began organizing and working in the political field while attending Central Washington University where she graduated with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Women Gender and Sexuality Studies. She worked with organizations such as Planned Parenthood Generation Action, Young Democrats of Washington, and Environment Washington. She previously served as the Sustainability Fellow for the City of Yakima. She was born in Bellingham but spent her childhood in Northern California before returning to Washington. She has lived in Yakima County since 2021 and enjoys attending music shows with her partner, doing arts and crafts like paper mâché, and reading books about academic/philosophical books about topics such as feminist theory and political theory.