Kari Nolasco '21

 

Kari is an aspiring lawyer and social worker with a major in International Political Economy with minors in Music and Global Development Studies. Kari has served in many role, including as the ASUPS Vice President and former Director of Marketing and Outreach, Hurley Community Service Scholar, Spiritual Life Scholar, Kilworth Chapel Assistant, Intercultural Engagement Workshop Coordinator, Residence Hall Association Director of Publicity, Tacoma Justice Program Intern, and InterVarsity Bible Study Leader. In these roles, Kari has connected Puget Sound students  to organizations in the greater Tacoma area, such as Jan Parker Cookery, Hilltop Urban Gardens, and the Guadalupe House. As a finalist for the Steinway Piano Competition (2018) and recipient of the Yumi Kawaji University Leadership Award (2019), Kari intertwined her restorative justice work with the gift of music as an avenue for societal healing in the fight towards a more sustainable, equitable, and humane community. Kari's thesis, The Role of Non-governmental Organizations in Alleviating Issues of Global Health, demonstrates that in the case studies of Japan, The Philippines, and communities along the USA-Mexico border, the role of NGOs is to partner with political leaders and financial powers to increase awareness for the health issues faced by these populations, hold governments accountable for policy change, and expand resources that best remedy the given circumstances for those affected.