I want to thank all of you for your support over the years and especially to those who have expressed a wish that I would continue on in track. Track has been a big part of my life for over ten years.  I am truly grateful that I was able to finish my last year of eligibility at the University of Southern California as a Trojan earning my 4th All-American honor and pushing the shot put school record a little farther. As many of you know, I have had a few hurdles of my own to conquer over the years and I would like to sincerely thank my friends at Southern Cal for fighting for my eligibility and to the NCAA for granting me the opportunity to compete and complete my career.

Life is really nothing if you don't allow yourself some 'options.' When one door closes, you can move through another and so it is this way with track. As I leave track and field as a competitor, I enter the world of public relations! I will be completing an internship in South Africa this summer and graduating with my Masters in August.

Actually, I have some other very exciting news!

I have received some early acceptances to some prestigious doctoral programs in my field! I know I will be happy in any of the programs, but on the practical side, I will have to see which program comes with a strong financial package. As with track scholarships, money isn't always the only reason to choose a program, but it - obviously - is a very important consideration that cannot be easily ignored. I'd also like to continue to be involved in sports, so it will be fun to see how life continues to unfold. As you can see, I am trying to always have options!

Thank you for listening,

Karen Freberg
'future doctoral student'

kfreberg@usc.edu