Meet Karen Sonnet, CAS Research Coordinator

Welcome to the CAS Staff Spotlight, a column featuring members of the CAS staff. For this spotlight, we are proud to introduce you to Karen Sonnet.

  • What do you do at the CAS?
    I’m the CAS research coordinator.
  • What do you enjoy most about your job?
    I really like working with my committees and the volunteers. We facilitate research, so it’s really cool to see the whole process from start to finish on topics that are vastly important to the actuarial profession.
  • Where’s your hometown?
    Falls Church, Virginia — I’m a D.C.-area native!
  • Where’d you go to college and what’s your degree?
    I went to George Mason University here in Northern Virginia, and I got my degree in linguistics.
  • What was your first job out of college?
    I worked at a before- and after-school childcare program. It was fun, but very noisy!
  • Describe yourself in three words.
    Curious, funny and offbeat.
  • What’s your favorite weekend activity?
    Hiking with my family and our dog, Ziggy.
  • Where’s your favorite travel destination?
    I backpacked through Scandinavia for three weeks on a budget of $20/day. It was beautiful and challenging!

    Stockholm, Sweden
  • Name one interesting or fun fact about you.
    I’m extremely well-versed in children’s literature and have read almost all the Newberry Award-winning books! I enjoy reading them aloud to my daughters now.