An interview with Karina Fresneda on how your decisions shape your life
by Fiona Farmer BVSc MRCVS
“There is no reason for us as women not to do something; we have to do something.” Karina Fresneda has done a lot. I had the pleasure of spending a morning talking to her about her life, and have the privilege to share her courageous story.
Born and raised in Argentina, Karina did not have the easiest childhood. In later life she would seek professional help to unpack and process the events of her early years but as a teen and young women her autopilot was set to ‘go, go, go’. And go she did. She studied biochemistry at university before moving cities to accompany her then husband. Mother to a young daughter and pregnant with her son, once settled from the relocation, Karina decided to apply for veterinary school.
“When I was younger I wanted to be a vet, but then I began to question how I would feel if I had to put an animal to sleep, so instead veered towards biochemistry. But in my new city, there was a big university that offered veterinary medicine. I’m always very mentally active and like to challenge myself with new things, so I thought I would try. I started the course a month after my son as born!”
This would turn out to be the first of many professional situations where Karina excelled despite extreme circumstances. “My husband was working long days and so I would have to do most of the childcare by myself. I only slept for five hours a night for five years, as I would sit down to study at 10pm and work through till about 2am or whenever I was too sleepy to keep reading.” She seemed remarkably nonchalant about it; “It was like a puzzle, putting all the pieces together – my daughter at school here, my son at childcare there, getting to my classes. I didn’t have too much time to relax, my folder was always out and if I had five or ten minutes while the children were playing, I’d be studying!”
I was amazed at her dedication, but was simply met with; “It showed me that if you want to do something, you can do it. I mean, there is no excuse. If you really want it, you’ll find the time. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible. And I was doing what I liked, I enjoyed the course.”
Part way through university, following an exam she had done particularly well in, Karina was offered a job as an assistant in the microbiology department. “I love labs and all laboratory activities so of course I said yes.” Also working in a clinical surgery, outside the university was a well-known surgeon, and so she started to expand into clinical pathology with him. All whilst still being at vet school, and raising two children.
Her previous years in biochemistry, and now the position in a lab was shaping the direction Karina’s career was to move towards. Shortly after graduation she opened her own small lab with a clinic attached. “I really enjoyed surgery too, but at this point I was also teaching at the University and I found doing all three things quite hard.”
It must have been hard for Karina to admit it. And so, she sold the clinical practice and instead focussed fully on her lab and her teaching. But before we start to think Karina is taking life at an easier pace, it was during this time she commenced her journey towards becoming a Specialist.
“I was doing a specialisation in anatomical pathology. It was in the north of Argentina, so once a month I had to travel 1,800 kilometres to go there! I didn’t mind the driving though because I loved it. It was so good and gave me a really good base for pathology.”
These were busy years for Karina. Her lab was thriving and she was working hard alongside her personal continued development and her teaching. “I love education.
I love to teach. I learned a lot from, many, many people, and it’s a way to give back, to people or to the universe! It’s important to share what you learn; I don’t want to take it with me. And every time I teach, I learn!”
Through our conversation, Karina’s warmth and passion was tangible. I wondered if this was the same in her classroom too? “I keep a close relationship with my students so they can talk freely and easily. And many times we went beyond the curriculum and I could truly help prepare them for life beyond university.”
Karina would soon come to find herself leaving her lab, teaching role and Argentina, as she was offered a residency in pathology at UC Davis in California. “I never thought I would get in. I applied with all my positive energy and sent off that application with good vibes,” she laughs. “I knew lots of people were applying, but this process taught me that even if you think the chances are low, you should still do it! And then I thought – ‘Oh gosh, I am doing the residency!’”
Initially Karina tried to keep her lab running while she was away, but the demands of the residency were too great and she closed the lab after a few months. And although the residency offered unparalleled learning opportunities, ideal for a person who thrives while progressing, the time in America was very difficult for Karina as she navigated hard personal circumstances.
“California is a beautiful place but it was not easy at all. The course required a lot from me and English was my second language, so it took a while to figure it all out. It was also during this time that I divorced my husband. We were going in different directions in our lives, and had been for a long time. I’d been delaying it, but I think the move helped me to take the decision which was one of the most difficult ones in my life. It was a tough time, a tough three years.”
Karina returned to Argentina after her residency, to be close to her children and to re-start her lab. Unbeknownst to her at the time, she was just a few years away from another relocation, this time to the UK.
“I have to say that I don’t plan too much my life. I went back because I wanted to be close to my son and my daughter. But life was getting hard in Argentina, and I was feeling like I couldn’t deal with it anymore. The financial system and inflation were crippling us, and every month I was having to reassess the prices I was charging in the lab. And then my daughter was about to leave for Australia and my son to go to Spain, and it was around this time I chanced upon the job at NationWide Laboratories.”
“A friend suggested the role to me, and one thing led to another. I sent my CV and was invited to go over to the UK for a week to see what I thought.” Karina made the journey at the beginning of February 2020 and accepted the role. She returned home to prepare for the move, and just weeks later the world shut down.
“Everything was closed! The visa took months and months!” When a small window in December 2020 allowed travel, Karina made the move. From sunny Argentina to winter in the UK, quarantining and spending Christmas alone, it wasn’t the start you would dream of when relocating. But of course, Karina cracked on. She had already overcome cultural differences during her move to the States, she was well practised in doing it again. “In Argentina we are very expressive, we hug a lot and kiss a lot, I learnt that you don’t do that so much here,” she laughs.
Four years on, Karina is well settled and appreciated in her role at Nationwide Laboratories. I found it hard to believe though, that someone who has always pushed for more would not have a project or two up her sleeve. And sure enough, she told me “I cannot just be sitting there, you know, it’s like I need to do something else, that I need the feel of adrenaline of challenging things.”
“I’d like to start teaching a few courses again. And I’ve started writing some blogs about my experiences and things I’ve overcome.”
Immediately I asked her to let me know when they would be done as I wanted to read them. In the short time we had together, I was totally blown away by the strength and resilience Karina has shown. In her quest to be happy, which she confidently expresses she is, Karina had to overcome childhood trauma and the way that shaped her decisions in life. Not least in her marriage. I wondered what it was in her that gave her the ability to keep pushing and not give up?
“I think it’s all for my kids. It’s the most important thing, to be happy for them, for myself, for the three of us. I had a very difficult childhood and from a young age I had to survive. And for a long time I didn’t love myself enough. But I’ve done a lot of work and although it’s taken a long time, I can say I am happy now. And you have to be happy for yourself. If you’re ok, the people around you will be too. If the people around you don’t want you to be happy, they’re not for you. So, what makes me keep going every day? Just to enjoy life, to do the things I like and fill my soul.”
I was curious to know, in the myriad of her achievements, what Karina was most proud of. “I don’t want to sound bad, but I’m most proud of myself. Nobody knows better than myself which things I have been through, personally and professionally. There was a lot of hard, hard work and some very difficult years. But I am proud of the journey. One of my biggest fears I had was that I wasn’t going to be a good mum. But when I see my children and I talk with them, I feel so proud of because I feel, “OK, yeah, I did it. They’re amazing, mission accomplished.”
Although they live in different countries, Karina and her children are extremely close. In a recent visit with her son, Karina shared how they were discussing how important it is to trust in yourself. “I don’t know how it will translate in English, but you have to ‘trust silly’! In situations where you think you are being silly for considering something – like I was with the residency – that’s when you have to trust silly in yourself.”
Trust silly! I wonder how far we could all go if we did that?
NationWide Laboratories is committed to making a positive impact on animal health by offering innovative products, technology and laboratory services to your veterinary practice. They have been providing a comprehensive range of veterinary diagnostic services since 1983. Their expert teams can assist you in making decisions on relevant testing for companion, exotic and farm animals. They offer full interpretation in a range of testing areas including biochemistry, haematology, cytology, histopathology, endocrinology, microbiology, etc. Their sample collection service is powered by National Veterinary Services.
Email: info@nwlabs.co.uk
Website: https://www.nwlabs.co.uk/
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