Achieving her goals

Student-athlete Karen Flores earns engineering degree

By California State University, Bakersfield

December 13^th, 2024

When Karen Flores came to California State University, Bakersfield from Ecuador to play for the women’s soccer team, her coach had to do a double-take when she told him what she planned to study.

“I’ve always been good with science, so I came here and told my coach, ‘I want to major in engineering,’” Flores said, recalling a conversation with Sebastian Vecchio, who was the team’s coach at the time. “He was like ‘What? Nobody does that when you’re a student-athlete.’ I said, ‘No, I want that. I know I can do it.’”

Four-and-a-half years later, Flores will graduate with her bachelor’s degree in engineering and impressive accomplishments both on the field and in the classroom.

Growing up in Ecuador, soccer was always a big part of Flores’ life. She knew she wanted to play the sport as long and at as high a level as she could, but she also wanted to earn her degree. Though she started her college education back home, it was more difficult for her to juggle school and soccer since she wasn’t playing for a school’s team with a coach who would understand her academic responsibilities. She knew her best bet to successfully pursue both was to play at the collegiate level in the United States.

Soon after Flores was recruited by Vecchio to play as a forward for the CSUB team, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, canceling the 2020 soccer season and keeping Flores at home in Ecuador for her first year. During that time, Flores also began playing for the Ecuador women’s national team, which she has continued with while playing for CSUB.

When it was finally time to come to the U.S., Flores had to adapt to life on her own. Not only would she be away from her parents and two older brothers, she’d also be learning a new language, all while balancing her soccer schedule and engineering courses, both incredibly demanding on their own and doubly so together.

“At first it was hard, but I think it was a little bit easier just because I was kind of living my dream,” Flores, 23, said. “It was like, ‘This is what it takes, I’ve always wanted this and now I have it.’ So, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I think that helped me a lot.”

Fall soccer seasons were the busiest time for Flores, with practice early in the mornings, classes all day and games every week. Fortunately, the hustle is something she is used to, and she credits her parents with her ability to manage it all.

“I feel like my life has always been like this,” Flores said. “My parents have been a huge part of just teaching me and showing me how to be responsible. I feel like since I have limited time, I manage it better.”

For her final season, Flores and her teammates made it to the Big West Championship, the first team in CSUB history to do so. They just missed their first conference title in an 8-7 loss against UC Santa Barbara, which ended in a penalty kick shootout after a tie.

“I’m just happy I left my mark here and could help the team, especially this year that we made it so far,” said Flores, who also ended the season as one of the team’s points leaders.

“Karen is a gifted soccer player who has been able to balance an incredible student-athlete career while pursuing her dreams of playing for her national team in Ecuador," said Bernardo Silva, head coach of the women's soccer team. "Her abilities on the ball, goal scoring mindset, and drive to always be her best are contagious and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her.”

At CSUB, Flores has been active off the field too. Though soccer has occupied her fall semesters, she has spent her springs working in the math tutoring center and doing research with faculty members. With Dr. Luis Cabrales, she studied the physical and mechanical properties of epoxy reinforced with pistachio shell particles.

For two years, Flores has also worked with Dr. Sungwook Hong doing research for a project called “Integration of Molecular Dynamic Simulations into Guided Inquiry Instruction to Improve Community-Based Engineering Problem-Solving Skills for College-Level Students.” Because she could do this remotely, Flores was able to keep working even in the fall.

“My professors were always really understanding that I’m a student athlete and I have a lot of responsibilities, but they also gave me the opportunity to work as well and do research with them, which was a really good learning experience,” Flores said.

Dr. Hong said Flores has contributed significantly to his work on projects funded by federal grants like those from the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture. Flores has demonstrated exceptional productivity, he said, adding that she has attended national conferences and participated in outreach events.

“Karen possesses excellent time management skills, is always polite and shows a strong eagerness to learn engineering and science concepts,” Dr. Hong said. “Her outstanding academic record, being one of the top GPA students in engineering, further highlights her dedication and capability. Her hard work and enthusiasm have been invaluable to our research efforts.”

For the last three years, Flores has earned Academic All-District honors, the first three-time honoree in the program’s history. Students are chosen for this honor by College Sports Communicators, which awards those who excel in both their sport and their academics. Flores has maintained a 3.8 GPA.

This week, Flores’ whole family is flying in to cheer her on as she walks the stage for commencement. Being apart from them has been difficult, but they have been her inspiration every step of the way.

“Every time I go home, it’s always a good time and I just miss them every day,” she said. “But I know I’m here for them as well, so it just has to be this way. It’s hard but it’s for the best.”

Although it hasn’t quite sunk in for Flores that she will be graduating, she is ready for it.

“With school, it’s been hard and mentally challenging, so I’m just glad” to be finishing, she said. “I’m excited to see what’s next.”

A career in engineering isn’t in the immediate future for Flores, who will continue to play for Ecuador’s national team and hopes to play professionally in Mexico too. But having her degree — a BS in engineering with an emphasis in management — allows her to focus fully on her soccer career, knowing she has a solid foundation for whatever comes after that.

After retiring from soccer, Flores hopes to find a way to combine her interests with some kind of engineering job in the world of soccer.

Succeeding in an especially demanding major as a student-athlete has been difficult, Flores said, but not impossible. She encouraged others who might have similar interests to work hard to achieve their goals, no matter what other responsibilities they might have.

“I feel like I had a lot of barriers throughout, even before coming here and throughout the four years, but I think I’m an example of someone who just believed in themselves and did it,” Flores said. “It’s been a ride, for sure. I knew I could do it, and now I’m about to graduate and I’m just so proud of myself. Even though it was hard, I did it.”