For Karen Awaida ’25, who joined Pine Crest in fifth grade at the Boca Raton campus, receiving the Founder’s Council Award for Excellence in Musical Theater wasn’t just a celebration of talent, it was a full-circle moment.
Though she’s been singing her whole life, Karen came to musical theater later than many of her peers. It wasn’t until her senior year that she decided to dive in fully. “I really made it my main extracurricular,” she said. “I joined Thespians for the first time, helped with Middle School productions, performed in Spring Scenes and everything I could. I wanted to give it my all in my last year.”
This year’s Upper School musical, “Chicago,” was a high bar. It demanded strong vocals, sharp choreography and standout stage presence. Karen, who had never considered herself a dancer, rose to the challenge, most notably in the solo number, “I Can’t Do It Alone,” where she had to sing and dance unaccompanied. “I remember learning the choreography and realizing that it was just me,” she said. “But getting through it gave me so much confidence. Being recognized for that performance drives me to embrace similar challenges in the future.”
Confidence wasn’t something Karen always carried naturally on stage. As a junior, Karen was cast in a lead role for the first time in “Anything Goes,” opposite her friend and mentor Margo Segal ’24, who helped guide her. “She showed me the true meaning of a lead character by showing up, consistently working her hardest and, most importantly, supporting the cast,” Karen said. “That really stayed with me.”
Karen’s leadership showed up in unexpected ways. During one Saturday rehearsal when Karen wasn’t feeling well, she stepped into a new role—offstage. She let her understudy perform and took notes from the audience, providing her castmates with feedback to improve the show. “I think learning from all those who led me throughout high school gave me the courage to step up like that,” she said. “I hope people saw that it came from a place of care.”
Musical theater may be a newer focus, but creativity runs deep in Karen’s life. She’s a songwriter and composer, plays piano and writes as a way to process emotion. “Songwriting is how I communicate,” she said. “I’ve filled notebooks with lyrics and have voice memos full of ideas.” In recent years, she’s even released two original songs recorded in Lebanon, near her family’s home.
Karen’s passion for expression extends into cultural exploration. She speaks four languages—English, Arabic, Spanish and French—and served as president of the Middle Eastern Culture Club (MECC) for two years, a club originally founded by her brother, Stefan ’23. “My heritage is an immeasurable part of who I am,” she said. “It’s often the first thing I mention when someone asks me about my identity.”
That deep cultural awareness has helped shape her future path. This fall, Karen will attend Duke University, where she plans to major in anthropology, with hopes of combining her love for music, storytelling and culture. “I’ve always been interested in how language and culture influence how we think and live,” she said. “Pine Crest showed me how valuable it is to explore different paths. I want to keep doing that.”
She’ll continue performing in college and is eager to join a campus theater troupe and may try her hand at stage management. “Now that I’ve found musical theater, I don’t think I could ever give it up,” she said.
When asked what she’ll miss most about Pine Crest, Karen doesn’t hesitate. “The teachers,” she said. “They’ve been the most extraordinary part of my experience. They invested in me not just as a student, but as a person. I’ll carry all of their lessons with me.”
