After graduating from GCS, Karen attended Skidmore College for two years and then moved to England and studied literature at the University of Hull for two more years. She worked at the Evening Standard Newspaper, in London and next moved on to become Advertising Director of Rolling Stone Magazine, Europe. Six years later, she returned to the United States and lived first in New York City and then in San Francisco, where she has lived for the last thirty years. Karen has worked primarily in advertising: for BBDO, the “Most Awarded” (Gunn Report) worldwide advertising agency network. Karen started and became a partner at Gardner Geary Coll & Young. Her clients included Fisher Price, Wham-O, Morey Boogie bodyboards, The Fairmont Hotels and Delta Dental. During her daughter Liza’s ski racing years, Karen scaled back to part-time work, at Amazon Advertising, heading campaigns for Kashi cereal and other clients. She also started a consulting company a few years ago and has done marketing projects for a number of clients in many different fields. Today, Karen is a consultant for Northern Lights, CA. Consulting.

In her personal life, Karen loves family adventure travel. She has enjoyed a safari in Botswana, Africa, horseback riding in Ireland and hiking Wayna Picchu, Peru. There was even a scuba diving experience, which convinced Karen that “We’re not scuba fans, but (we’re) glad we tried it!”

“High school was fun,” Karen recalls, “…maybe too much fun for me at first. I wasn’t doing well due to too much socializing. My dad, (a.k.a. Dr Bill), said ‘Karen, you have a choice. Keep doing what you’re doing and you won’t have many opportunities in the future or start working harder and you’ll be able to do whatever you want.’ I got it. Then GCS backed me all the way. (Thank you Mr. Brooks, my guidance counselor). I studied hard, did well and knew from then on that I could turn a situation around if I applied myself in a focused way.”

One regret Karen has concerning her high school days was the lack of athletic opportunities for girls. “I wish Title 9 had passed before I went to high school, as girls sports were very limited. I raced and taught skiing at Willard and still love to  ski.”

In Karen’s experience, “Writing is critical in marketing. Being able to think clearly, to digest and synthesize vast quantities of information are important. Also, knowing how to be a team player as well as being able to lead people who are very different from each other is essential in advertising, where there are creative, account and research team members.”

Karen learned something very valuable from her adventurous parents: “As long as an activity is basically safe, go for it: Try new things, go places, never stop learning. I have tremendous gratitude to both of my parents for this ethic”.

Karen lives with her husband and “great guy,” Morrow Otis, in Mill Valley, a small town like Greenwich, a few miles north of
the Golden Gate Bridge. She is the daughter of the late Dr. William Young and Pat Young, of Surf City North Carolina. Her siblings include the late Susan “Suki” Young (GCS ’66), the late Joan “Kim” Young (GCS ’70), Bill Young ((GCS ’72) of Houston, Texas and Kip Young (GCS ’73) of Surf City, North Carolina. Reflecting on the loss of her father and sisters, Suki and Kim, Karen notes that “I miss them every day.”

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