Karen Lavallee Fitzgerald is from Milton, Vermont. As a high school student, she was active in youth ministry at the parish and diocesan level. She attended Saint Michael's College in Colchester, studying history, secondary education, and religious studies. She began teaching at Rice Memorial High School in 2004. During her eight years at Rice, she taught World Studies 10 and Honors World Studies 10, coached JV field hockey, and ran retreats. For a short time, she also taught Scripture and U.S. History and was part of a two person Campus Ministry team. She met her husband, Tim Fitzgerald, when he was hired as a member of the English Department at Rice. They were married in 2011, with Rice students providing the music for their wedding. In May 2012, the Fitzgeralds welcomed their first child, and Ms. Fitzgerald decided to leave Rice to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2018, Ms. Fitzgerald entered the school library media endorsement program at UVM and became an elementary school librarian in Chelsea, Vermont.