Karina Nicole McKenna is expected to receive her BBA Summa Cum Laude in Economics from Temple University’s Fox School of Business Honors program this May (2024). Karina is passionate about well-being, education, and youth programming, advocating for interdisciplinary arts education as a path to personal empowerment and collective economic resiliency. She hopes to make arts education more widely accessible and foster a deeper appreciation for the creative economy’s vital role in the overall economic landscape. Karina is a dancer in Creative Contemp., a contemporary dance company based in North Philadelphia, and she will be attending Stanford University’s Hoover Institution Summer Policy Boot Camp this August. 

Dr. Shreyasee Das, Associate Professor-Instructional in the Department of Economics, writes of Karina “She exemplifies the qualities of academic excellence, passion for policy analysis, leadership, and serving Temple’s community and the community at large, making her a deserving candidate for the Diamond Award. Karina has maintained a 4.0 GPA in Economics, an exceptional feat given the requirements of the major. Karina has also made significant contributions through her research work for faculty in the Economics Department. I am particularly impressed by Karina’s enthusiasm for engaging with diverse perspectives and her eagerness to contribute meaningfully to discussions on pressing policy issues. Karina’s exceptional academic achievements, leadership, and dedication to community development are exemplary”.