Philanthropy

At 7 years old, Karina lost her older brother Brandon to Stage IV Glioblastoma, a rare form a brain cancer. From that moment on, Karina has dedicated her time to advocating, volunteering and service.

Bags of Hope

In 2018, Karina and two of her closest friends, Alyssa and Genna, founded a nonprofit organization after witnessing first hand the disparities in the Greater Tampa Bay Area. In 2012, the National Alliance to End Homelessness reported the city had the highest rate of homelessness in the United States of America. No strangers to service, by way of the Community Food Pantry and AGAPE Youth Group at Village Presbyterian Church, the trio set out to make basic necessities more accessible for the less fortunate. Bags of Hope carry toiletry items, crisis information and words of encouragement. In 2018, Karina received the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award from the Florida Holocaust Museum, which is given to high school juniors with “outstanding humanitarian efforts.” As of 2025, 40,000 Bags of Hope have been distributed.

Dance Marathon

Stemming from the loss of her brother, Karina has been a childhood cancer advocate for as long as she remembers. She collected toys, volunteered and advocated for numerous organizations, but one captured her heart: Dance Marathon. From 2018-2019, Karina served as the president of the Tampa Catholic High School For the Children club. She helped orchestrate the club’s second annual Mini Dance Marathon, benefitting Shriners Children’s Tampa. The club raised over $10,000, surpassing the yearly goal of $8,500. At the collegiate level, Karina joined Dance Marathon at the University of Florida her freshman year. Throughout her four years at UF, she served as a emerging leader, captain and assistant director, personally raising over $30,000 for UF Shands Health Children’s Hospital.