Whatever religious or spiritual affiliation, most of us believe we were put on this Earth for a reason. Along the way things may happen that we question—things that cause pain, suffering or heartbreak. The difference between those who wallow in search of reasoning and those who decide to move on is often happiness. No matter what life throws at us, we choose the path that brings us to the next destination in life. “Before my attack I knew that I wanted to travel the world. I was in graduate school pursuing my master’s degree in Multicultural Communication when I was attacked, so I was devastated when I had to put my studies on hold,” Karli says. Luckily for Karli, she was able to regain control of her life and she eventually earned her MA in Organizational and Multicultural Communication.
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While her educational goals remained the same, her overall life and career goals took an unexpected turn. “I now want to travel the globe to help raise awareness about the devastating effects of acid attacks, as well as share my story of survival with other burn survivors and survivors of violence,” she says. “Who knew I’d get invited to travel to Ghana to do work with burn survivors? Who knew that I’d be featured in an international art documentary about acid attack survivors? I never imagined that I would be here giving interviews about my life as a burn survivor and my advocacy work, but I am, so I’ve learned to embrace it and really appreciate it. I have tried to run away, but I’m happy to finally be walking in my purpose. I’m so thankful. I finally understand that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”