Page 34 - Final Inspirational Women Issue

Inspirational Women

Karen Haze

By Judith A. Habert

Photos courtesy of Karen Haze

later, the product of a brief in the people, rich or poor, it flats, and it had no heat, no
affair outside of my mother’s was simply that they had been shower, no hot water unless
marriage. I was 16 before presented with different op- you waited for an hour for it
I found out that the father portunities, made some good to warm up. In the mornings
I lived with my entire life choices, put in hard work and we would have frost on the
wasn't actually my dad. He perhaps had a little luck along inside of the windows, but we
had been abusive to my Mom, the way. I wanted to work had a ton of fun in that flat,
and we didn’t get along at hard and achieve all I could and I was happy to have a roof
all, so I actually received this achieve.” over my head. It was so dilap-
information rather well.” So how did a young idated that they tore it down
Growing up on a Man- woman in Karen’s position soon after we had moved out.
chester Council Estate was end up in the U.S as a Corpo- In the days after I re-
tough; when money for their rate Development Executive turned home from Spain, I
home’s electric meter ran out, for KPBS Public Media? walked into the admissions
they had no lights, nor heat. “I did my first study office at Manchester Metro-
Groceries often ran out before abroad program after grad- politan University. It was the
“It isn't where you there was money for the next uating from High School, week before school started

came from; it's weekly shop. Karen and her spending the summer in and I asked if there was room
brother thought their life was
in any courses for me. The
Spain. Towards the end of
where you're going “normal,” as that’s how many the summer, I hadn't thought woman I spoke to found a
place for me and filled out all
about attending college; I
of their neighbors lived too.
that counts.” In elementary school, it knew there was no money for the paperwork for grants. I
was noted that both Karen it. The family I stayed with in also got a housing allowance
and her brother were ex- Spain was extremely affluent, for the flat, and I was on my
— Ella Fitzgerald tremely intelligent, they were and although the couple spoke way to getting the college
tested, and they both earned little English, the woman education that I never thought
places at separate, prestigious kept pushing for me to leave possible."
O ONE SYMBOLIZES Grammar schools. At the all- Spain and attend college back Karen worked at a local
Nthis belief better than girls Grammar School, while in England. To appease her I shoe store through college,
Karen Haze. Born in Man- making friends and having told her that, yes, I would go which in England is three
chester, England, to a young sleepovers, Karen realized her to college and so she bought years of study. After gradua-
mom who had her first child, home life wasn't the same as me a plane ticket that week tion, she knew she wanted to
a son, at the age of 17. the rest of her friends. to return to England, right do more than live in the old,
"My mother was a baby This new school had before classes were to start." In cold apartment and work in a
herself when she had her first students who came from reality, Karen had nowhere to shoe shop full time, there were
baby, my brother, who’s father a much higher economic go when she returned home, few opportunities in Man-
was not in the picture. After stratum then she did. This did as her parents had divorced chester at that time, and she
becoming pregnant at 16 and not deter Karen academical- and her mother had left the had no money to fund travel
running away from home, a ly nor socially, “Seeing how family home. to find new opportunities. "I
man twice her age, and the my friends lived made me "I wasn't going to live found a study abroad pro-
Manager of a wrestling ring hopeful. Their parents were with my "father," so for a short gram in America. With this
in a circus, took her in and affectionate and loving to time; I was homeless. Actually, program, they would fly you
asked her to marry him. Mom each other, something I was I was couch surfing at friends' to American and could place
was thrilled to be provided not used to but liked a lot. houses, until my brother you anywhere. They placed
with a home for her baby, Most people who lived on the found a flat for us to rent. I me in Washington DC for one
albeit government subsidized council estate where I grew was 18, and he was 22. It was year, and oh I thought I had
housing. My mom was briefly up were disparaging of those a ramshackle mansion house died and gone to heaven when
‘encouraged’ to be a wrestler who were wealthy. I learned that was hundreds of years I first landed in New York for
also! I came along four years that there were no differences old, it had been converted into orientation. I was mesmerized

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