Name: Dr. Karen Hardin, Ed.D.
Current Profession(s): President, Maricopa NAACP
Please describe your role(s) in your profession(s): Dr. Hardin's professional endeavors include counseling and educational consulting after creating and directing several educational programs. The programs were designed to assist underrepresented youth to gain skills that may lead them in reaching their full potential. After completing a full time career in higher education teaching counseling and psychology courses, She has transitioned into developing and creating additional programs that aim at diversity and inclusion for all individuals.
Please describe your pathway to your current profession(s): Dr. Hardin dedicated thirty-one years in the Maricopa Community College District where she served as a Counseling Faculty member, Career Center Director and where she volunteered as the Faculty Advisor for the college students' NAACP club. Dr. Hardin has numerous years of experience instructing psychology and counseling courses at the graduate and under-graduate level. She currently serves as the President of the Maricopa County Branch of the NAACP after becoming President in December 2017.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated-Delta Beta Omega Chapter, a Life Member of the National Council of Negro Women, a Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, a member of the Phoenix Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., a former member of the Arizona State Attorney General's Advisory Council, the President of the Maricopa County Branch NAACP since December 2017. Hardin is a Missouri State University "Hall of Fame Honoree for her performance in tennis during college."
Dr. Hardin has been a mentor to students and was selected by the YWCA as Educator of the Year. She was honored with the Dr. ML King Award by Mesa for her support of students and her volunteer work in the community. Her strength as a service leader is manifested in the creation of several programs such as, "Saturday Super Scholars," a program that helped low-income elementary children to increase skills in math and science. Another program created by Dr. Hardin was Student's Striving Towards Excellent performance (STEP); that provides students scholarships and helps high school students transition to college.
What is your education/training background? Dr. Hardin has an earned doctoral degree in Educational Leadership as well as a Masters degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Counseling.
Advice you'd give to your younger self: Always be authentic as you strive to treat others as you would like to be treated.
Who has influenced you? The most influential people in my life are my Mother and Grandmother.
Tell us about anything you are passionate about outside of your profession(s): Outside of my career as a College Professor, I am passionate about volunteering for the Maricopa County Branch NAACP. The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the educational, social and economic equality of rights for all people and to eliminate discrimination.
Volunteering as an officer in the NAACP is rewarding because it provides the opportunity help others learn how to find their voice and be self- advocates.
Please feel free to tell us anything else that you'd like to share: One of my favorite quotes by Dr. Martin L. King, Jr is "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others? '"
