4th Grade Teacher

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Mrs. Karen Pettinger has previously taught 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. She earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and her M.A. in Education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She also has her certificate in Gifted Education from Saint Mary’s.

Mrs. Pettinger was born and raised in South Louisiana. She is the youngest of seven children, six being girls! After college, she moved to North Carolina to work as a Youth Program Director for the YMCA, where she met her husband, a native of Fargo. In 1994, they married and moved to Minnesota where they lived for 20 years and raised their two sons. They have lived in Grand Rapids since 2015. She enjoys reading, swimming and traveling.

Karen has always been involved in her church from youth group, Catholic College Students, Youth Adult Ministry, Faith Formation to Vacation Bible School. She and her family attend St. Robert of Newminster in Ada and is excited to be a part of the IHM family as well!

Her mantra is Give me a fish, I eat for a day; teach me to fish, I eat for a lifetime.