When I returned to Half Moon Bay, after living with my dad in Southern California, for 8th grade, and half of 9th, I was a shy and very nervous young teenager, afraid of how I would fit in at Half Moon Bay High School. My sister, who moved down to my dad's at the same time I was returning from his house, had asked Karen to watch out for me once I arrived. Karen took this to heart and took me under her wing. She went out of her way to meet me at my bus stop, each day, to make sure I wasn't alone. She introduced me to her many friends, even though I was "only a freshman." But mostly, she offered me her friendship, her laughter, and her serious sense of fun. Karen was a true gem of a friend, and the world will be a little less sparkly with her gone.