By Annabel Simmons
Dr. Karen Sebold has taught in the University of Arkansas’ political science department since 2011, but her journey to success distinguishes her from many others. “I have a background that most professors are not going to have,” Sebold said.
A person’s socioeconomic origins often play a significant role in shaping their educational and career paths. Most professors tend to grow up in middle class or upper middle class lifestyles. However, Sebold is an exception to this norm, as many of her family members never graduated from high school.“I definitely feel different from most professors as a result of my background,” she said.
She was born in Fayetteville and raised in Springdale by a single mother. Moving around a lot, she attended various elementary schools in the area. “That’s kind of the byproduct of being poor,” Sebold said. “You’re forced to move from one place to another because you don’t have the money to pay the rent.” She spent much of her childhood in public housing at Applegate, one of the oldest housing developments in the region.
Sebold’s mother eventually remarried, and her stepdad worked in the chicken processing industry. Although not much, this provided her family with a little more stability and the resources needed to survive. While her father was present in her life, he struggled financially. “He kind of lived off the land,” she explained.
In the early 1990s, Sebold dropped out of high school during what would have been her sophomore or junior year. Being pregnant at the time, attending school became increasingly difficult to navigate.
Sexual and reproductive health education has long been a controversial and stigmatized topic in the South. Many schools have historically focused on abstinence-based programs, often omitting information about contraception and other birth control options. “It was the late 80s, early 90s, and there wasn’t a lot of information on birth control or sexual education in this area,” Sebold said. “It was a Bible Belt state where they didn’t believe in teaching about that.”
After dropping out of school, Sebold moved to Fayetteville for two years, where she discovered her passion for politics. Even from a young age, she had been drawn to political journalism, closely following the news throughout elementary to high school. When Arkansas’ own governor, Bill Clinton, ran for president in 1992, this served as a pivotal moment in Sebold’s life.
“Clinton did a lot of campaigning here in Northwest Arkansas, and that really drew me and my friends in,” Sebold said. “The things that he talked about made me feel like I mattered, even though I always thought, well, I’m kind of just a worthless person. I’m just a mistake. He and Hillary Clinton were big inspirations to me growing up in this state because they always tried to improve the lives of the poor.”
Sebold began volunteering for Clinton’s presidential campaign, and bringing her son along in his stroller, she would knock on doors. She even handmade buttons and sold them. “Doing something bigger than me or my problems was really cool, and that’s what really hooked me on government and politics,” Sebold said. “I got to see Clinton speak, about two weeks before he was elected, on the front lawn of Old Main, and that was the most exciting experience I’d ever had in my life up until that point.”
After her first son was born in 1991, Sebold became pregnant with her second child at 20. “At that point, I’d relocated to Kansas with my husband at the time, and shortly after my second son was born, I started community college,” Sebold said. She recalls her consistent admiration for learning, which prompted her going back to school. “Even through the difficulties, I’d always been kind of a nerd,” she said.
She attended Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, where she earned an associate degree in 1997. Raising two sons, Sebold was motivated to build a better future for her family. She realized that the jobs she was working–waiting tables and taking on any available work to earn an income–were not what she envisioned for her future.“I wanted to provide stability for my kids,” she said.
When Sebold started school at Coffeyville, she was unsure of exactly what she wanted to do career wise. She initially considered pre-law and journalism but ultimately decided against both. “Having kids limited me,” Sebold explained. She needed to pursue a career that would allow her to maintain a balanced work-life relationship, ensuring she could be present for her children. “I wanted to really raise them,” she said.
After obtaining her associate degree, Sebold was accepted into a journalism program at Kansas University. However, at the time, she was a newly single mother going through a divorce, and attending was not an option. “I didn’t have the resources,” she said. “It’s really difficult to navigate college when you don’t have kids, and when you do, it’s next level.”
She took a break from school and worked in radio, broadcasting and sales, where she met her current husband, with whom she has been with for nearly 25 years. The couple moved to Nebraska so that her husband could continue his radio broadcasting career, and she could work toward getting a bachelor’s degree. She spent a year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha before becoming pregnant with her third son and leaving school due to sickness. Almost two years later, Sebold and her family moved back to Kansas. She resumed her studies at Rogers State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, commuting nearly an hour to campus. In 2005, she received her bachelor’s degree in political science.
During college, Sebold found relief in new support systems. “My husband would work at night, and I would go to school during the day, and we managed to raise the kids while getting me through school.” She also received significant assistance from government programs, including aid for childcare, food stamps, grants and medical insurance. “That kind of helped me create some bootstraps to pull up,” she said. “I could not have gone to college and made it happen without that support.”
Sebold began working toward her graduate degree soon after completing her undergraduate studies and has remained in academia ever since. She moved to Fayetteville in 2006 and applied to the University of Arkansas’ political science department to pursue her master’s degree. It was during this time that she realized she wanted to become a professor. She began her doctoral studies in 2008 and completed her dissertation in 2013, earning a doctorate degree in public policy. Shortly after, she was offered a position as an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas. Initially on a non-tenure track, she transitioned to the tenure track in 2020.
Adjusting to a larger university was daunting, particularly because of her unique background, she said. However, Sebold said she believes facing these challenges made her stronger and more confident. She expressed feeling torn between two worlds–academia and the one she grew up in. During times of transition, she emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself.
Throughout her educational journey, Sebold was primarily her own support system and credits her success to having an unfaltering mindset. She states that it wasn’t easy. “It takes time,” she said. “It’s trial and error. It’s finding the resources to support your goals. But ultimately it all comes down to having a goal and being ambitious — the idea that I’m not going to settle for something just because these are my life circumstances.”
Sebold went against the grain and pushed herself forward.
“Unfortunately, my parents were only able to help so much,” Sebold said. “I was always my own support system but also my own cheerleader.”
She also doesn’t view her challenges as things to regret. “I never looked at having kids early as a mistake,” Sebold remarked. “It got me on the right track. Yeah, I made some mistakes; I messed up along the way, but I don’t regret that. Because, usually, it’s those mistakes that teach you more about life and help you figure out who you are.”
There were many moments when Sebold didn’t know if she would prevail, but she notes that the hardship has made her success even more rewarding. “I was able to go from a bad situation to really embracing and loving my career,” she said. “I’m in love with my career.”
Currently, at the University of Arkansas, Sebold specializes in American politics. She has a book under contract with Kansas University Press titled: “Loose Laws, Partisan Politics, and a Gridlocked Federal Election Commission” and has many other published works in her areas of research. Her research focuses on campaign finance, the presidential nomination process and election administration. She has taught courses such as the Chief Executive, the American National Congress, Money and Politics, Political Parties, Federalism, and American National Government. This is also her first year teaching Politics and Policy on Film.
Many of Sebold’s students attest to her influence in the classroom. Camryn Hinkle, who is currently enrolled in Politics and Policy on Film, said that upon one of her first classes with Sebold, she could tell that her professor has a deep passion for teaching. “I immediately felt like her class would be refreshing and different from any of the other political science courses I’ve been involved with,” she said.
Hinkle also noted the positive impact Sebold continues to have on students.
“Almost every class has a good memory in it, but I love when she speaks to us about how she got to where she is today,” Hinkle shared. “She is great at reminding us life doesn’t have a timeline when it comes to reaching our goals and that the world will have great things to offer regardless of our own timeline for ourselves.”
Caroline Koch, who took American Political Parties and is currently taking Politics and Policy on Film with Sebold, recognizes how she stands out from other professors. “The classroom always has an upbeat vibe, with freedom for open discussion and opinions, which is what we need more of,” she said. “Dr. Sebold is constantly reassuring students that she can be like a Mama Bear to them if needed. She is very understanding of our generation, which I give credit to her having her own children around our age. I think that helps her a lot connecting with students.”
Outside of her university work, Sebold enjoys watching professional cycling with her husband. Having grown up in Northwest Arkansas, she loves to hike and has made countless trips to Devil’s Den. Sebold deeply values time with family, relishing moments spent with her grandkids and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Recently, she’s taken up watching animal webcams, with eagles and owls being among her favorites. “That’s my new hobby recently, to get away from the news,” she remarked.
Sebold’s adversities allow her to offer meaningful advice to college students facing similar obstacles. “You have to be diligent about knowing who you are, your strengths and weaknesses and what you can do to navigate challenges,” she said. “I would tell young people don’t be afraid of hardship. Don’t avoid the hard stuff. Don’t put your head in the sand.” She notes that it is often the adversity we face that helps us determine who we are and what we’re made of.
“I know what I’m made of,” she said.“I’ll tell you real quick what I’m made of. I’m made of some tough stuff,” she said. “It’s important to know that these things will not kill you. They may challenge you, but they are likely to make you stronger.”