A native of Seattle, Karin started at Pomona in 1989 after spending a year as an exchange student in a small farming community in rural Japan. "I grew up in a very international family, with American parents who studied abroad in Germany and Switzerland in high school and college," said Zaugg. "And when I had the chance to go abroad, I wanted to go someplace that we hadn’t been before." Having grown up in a Seattle neighborhood with many Japanese American families, she chose Japan because she found some of her friends’ culture fascinating.

After graduating in 1993 with a degree in Asian Studies, Zaugg participated in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) as a Coordinator of International Relations in Kobe, Japan. She spent three years in the Kobe Mayor’s office as the contact person for the foreign consular corps, interpreting the courtesy calls for the Mayor and Deputy Mayors, presenting speeches to community groups, and assisting with English publications.

In 1995, during the massive rescue efforts after the devastating earthquake in Kobe, Japan, she received international recognition for her efforts in the Kobe Mayor's Office. "I was called upon to interpret for the Swiss rescue team," she explained. "Because of my fluency in German and Japanese, I served as the go-between for the Swiss Rescue Dog handlers and the Japanese fire department workers. We were digging people out from the rubble for four days after the quake."  Since leaving Kobe, Zaugg has served as the Director of Program Development at the Japanese American Chamber of Commerce of Washington State. The nonprofit organization's mission is to facilitate interaction between Japanese, Japanese Americans and Americans, to encourage entrepreneurial and educational activities, and to promote increased understanding of Japanese culture and heritage.

In her Seattle community, Zaugg is involved with her church and several community service projects. She recently became the youngest president of the Board for the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association. She has also remained active in her Pomona community. As a dedicated Alumni Admissions Volunteer, she interviews as many as seven prospective students per year. In 1998, she served on the Reunion Fund Committee for her 5th reunion.  

"I really love coming back here," said Zaugg in her acceptance speech at the Wash I program during Alumni Week 1999 in April. She spent three days on campus, presenting speeches, visiting with professors, and even chatting with a student she interviewed as a prospective in Seattle. "I’m proud to say that she is taking a Japanese class!"