Karen Keroack was a long-time faculty member in the FSU College of Social Work. She served as an instructor and area coordinator of the MSW program offered in Gainesville, Florida, which is now part of the online MSW program. Karen established and coordinated the Gainesville program for 28 years, providing for the education of a multitude of social workers in the Gainesville area.

I first met Karen when she helped me transfer into the Gainesville MSW program when I moved to Florida. She became my mentor and friend when I started working with an FSU College of Social Work grant awarded by the Department of Children and Families. Karen passed away five years ago on July 7, 2015 after a long fight with breast cancer. She was a well-respected and wonderful woman who continued to teach through October 2014, even though she knew her options for cancer treatment were becoming exhausted. Her impact on the social work community in Gainesville is profound.

What many people do not know about Karen is that she was an incredible horsewoman who rode several times a week. She continued to ride up until five weeks prior to her death, leaving the barn in the afternoon to get ready for chemotherapy treatments. Her strength was undeniable. For almost two years I had the good fortune of spending time with Karen at the barn, where she taught me how to care for her horse and learn how to ride. Because of Karen, and by seeking additional trainings, I have been able to offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to my private clients, which is an incredibly powerful healing modality. I have had the great honor of caring for her beloved off-track Thoroughbred mare, Millie Brown, since Karen’s passing. 

I want those in the College of Social Work that knew Karen to remember her bright light, and I want those who did not know Karen to learn about her life and her tremendous contribution to the social work profession. I continue to hear so many stories from graduates of the Gainesville program about how Karen was one of the best teachers they ever had and how Karen continues to influence the way they work with clients. Karen's work educating social workers has continued to impact her students, their clients, and many others in a way that is immeasurable. She was the most amazing mentor and a very special friend. Breast cancer takes away too many special, amazing women and men. Rest peacefully, Karen. 

During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, find out ways to get involved and show your support for survivors, their families and to remember those that were taken too soon:

• How You Can Help – National Breast Cancer Foundation
• Ways You Can Show Support for Breast Cancer – National Foundation for Cancer Research
• How to Get Involved – Susan G. Komen

About the Author:

Susan Osborne is a licensed clinical social worker who has been a visiting assistant teaching professor and training coordinator for the FSU College of Social Work located in the Gainesville, Florida since 2013. She graduated from FSU with her MSW degree in 2000. She also earned a master’s degree in agricultural education with a minor in counseling form Ohio State University (1981) and a bachelor’s degree in animal science and agricultural education from Virginia Tech (1976).