DEERFIELD, IL – Trinity International University has hired Karina Renee Smith as its new director of alumni relations. Karina is the youngest daughter of a large Christian family. Her father was a United Methodist pastor, and her mother was a Chicago Public School teacher. As such, Karina has been gifted with similar talents to write, teach, preach, and create from a very early age. Her father had her in the pulpit singing at the age of two, and since then, she has had a zest for God.
Over the years, Karina has used her creative gifts in performance arts to illustrate the gospel while teaching VBS and leading youth groups, young adults, women, and singles. She holds a BA in Theater from Columbia College of Chicago and an MS in Communications from Northwestern University. In May 2024, she will complete a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). Karina worked as a sales and marketing manager at Allstate Insurance Company before transitioning to the senior director of membership and gift management at WTTW Chicago. Karina is a natural connector and loves to participate in God’s kingdom work through evangelism and missions both at home and abroad. As a seminarian, Karina was a Mosaic Scholar and member of the Mosaic Ministry leadership team. She sat on several boards and served as a graduate resident assistant on Trinity’s Deerfield campus for three years. Karina has a heart for racial reconciliation and, through a biblical worldview, preaches the gospel across multiple platforms with reconciliation to God and one another at its core. Karina is an adventurous outdoorswoman and has rock climbed, skydived, snorkeled, and parasailed. She’s a foodie at heart and loves to travel the world and share the gospel. She hopes to one day share the gospel on all seven continents. Four down, three to go! Karina resides in the northern suburbs of Chicago and is available for speaking engagements and counseling.
If you would like to get in touch with Karina or her team please reach out via [email protected]