Karen Kraemer’s spirit lives on through an endowed internship fund in international relations and social justice established in her name, expanding opportunities for Pomona students to engage the world.
Kraemer (left) and classmate Elisa Heather Halpern (who passed away in 1987) at Pomona’s Commencement Ceremony in 1980.
Karen D. Kraemer ’80 lived by an unwavering internal compass — always pointed toward connection, conviction and courage. When Hodgkin lymphoma claimed her life in 1993 at age 35, the loss was profound. Her younger brother, Glen Kraemer, still feels its weight.
Glen Kraemer and his wife, Natalie, have turned his sister’s values into action by endowing an internship fund in international relations and social justice at Pomona College. Their gift creates permanent support for student opportunities and honoring Karen Kraemer’s commitment to bridging divides through learning from others and reaching beyond one’s own immediate experience.
“I am deeply grateful to Glen and Natalie for honoring Karen’s life with a gift that opens doors,” says Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr. “By endowing this internship, they are ensuring our students will carry Pomona’s values near and far — connecting across differences, strengthening communities and widening the circle of human understanding.”
After graduating from Pomona in 1980, Karen Kraemer went on to become an attorney, initially focusing on labor relations before eventually becoming the first director of mediation at the American Arbitration Association, helping people find common ground outside of the courtroom at a time when alternative dispute resolution was still an emerging practice. In fact, connection and community-building were skills Karen Kraemer honed throughout her life — even during a yearlong transplant recovery in isolation at City of Hope, where she formed a support group for fellow patients and families.
“Karen was fierce but kind — she could hold strong convictions and still reach across the aisle,” Glen Kraemer says.
Only a few months following Karen’s death, Glen Kraemer became the first Board Chair for OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center.
“Following Karen’s death, my involvement with OUR HOUSE provided me the opportunity to give purpose and voice to the emotions I was struggling with in the wake of losing her,” Glen Kraemer shares. “It was Karen’s life that served as the ultimate inspiration for me, and from that modest beginning in 1993, OUR HOUSE continues to walk alongside grieving families, providing understanding, support and connection during that often isolating journey.”
That same spirit has long shaped the Kraemers’ philanthropy at Pomona. Through their support of student internships — including stipends, travel funds and other resources — their gifts have helped remove financial barriers that can prevent students from pursuing mission-driven opportunities. For example, Josh Crowley ’27, a politics major, spent his summer working with the City of Claremont to create the Sagehen Civic Scholars Internship Program — a new pathway for Pomona students to serve in local government. What began as a pilot has already rippled across city departments, expanding to nine internship placements and counting.
“Receiving this award allowed me to focus entirely on my work without worrying about earning money, which gave me the chance to commit to something truly fulfilling,” Crowley says. “This experience strengthened my desire to create a positive impact in any community I am part of — locally and globally.”
Conversations with students like Crowley, Glen Kraemer says, crystallized their decision to endow the fund in Karen’s honor. One lunch with a young Pomona student on campus stands out: She had stretched a modest award into a summer of international learning and service.
“She was so engaged, so determined,” Glen Kraemer says. “My first thought was how Karen would have loved to meet her.”
Perhaps years from now, he says, a Pomona alumna will write to him and Natalie to say that a career in diplomacy — “not for power, but for people” — began with her internship. Or maybe another Sagehen alum will point to a summer in a legal clinic or a nongovernmental organization as the start to their life of service.
“Support from the right person at the right time can change a destiny,” Glen Kraemer says. “If this fund is that spark, even once, it will have done everything we hoped.”
To establish a lasting tribute at Pomona College, contact Kyle Davis, senior director of development.