More Than a Dream: Karen Pesek on Education, Advocacy, and Community Roots

Karen Pesek’s story is one of resilience, determination, and service. As a Mexican immigrant, business owner, and advocate for higher education, she has built a life and career rooted in empowering others. From co-owning Pesek Law, Nebraska’s largest bilingual law firm, to running the True Potential Scholarship and a free legal clinic, Karen’s mission is clear: to support her community and create opportunities for others.

In a recent episode of Omaha Mom Talks, host Jessie Gutierrez sat down with Karen to discuss her journey to the United States, her experience navigating higher education as a first-generation college student, and her passion for financial literacy and advocacy. This conversation sheds light on the challenges and triumphs of building a life from the ground up—and how Karen is using her success to lift others.

 

From Chihuahua to Nebraska: An Unexpected Journey

Karen was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, a region she affectionately describes as “the Nebraska of Mexico” due to its agricultural landscape and cowboy culture. Her journey to the U.S. began when she was 18 years old, after high school graduation. Though she originally planned to come to the U.S. temporarily to learn English, life took an unexpected turn.

Her father had immigrated years earlier, and when her visa was finally approved, she was encouraged to move to Nebraska. It was a difficult transition—not just because of the language barrier, but also because she suddenly had to adjust to living with a family she had never lived with before.

At Central Community College in Columbus, Nebraska, she met her future husband, Ross, who was attending on a basketball scholarship. Their love story began in a comical way—he attempted to ask her out in English, but she didn’t understand a word he said. With the help of a friend, she memorized a response in English and eventually, the two started dating.

 

Navigating Higher Education as an Immigrant

Karen quickly realized that her best chance of success was through education. Though she was still learning English, she leaned on her strength in math, enrolling in as many math courses as possible since numbers are universal.

Determined to stay in school without burdening her father with tuition costs, she applied for scholarships. She received:

• A scholarship for her second year at Central Community College
• A full-ride transfer scholarship to Wayne State College

Karen emphasized how community colleges played a crucial role in her success. With smaller class sizes and more direct support, she was able to thrive academically, even as she was still adapting to a new country.

At Wayne State, Karen and Ross faced a critical decision—where to go next after graduation. Ross was considering law schools outside of Nebraska, while Karen had already secured a corporate job in Omaha. They briefly took a break to ensure they were making independent career decisions, but ultimately, they reunited. Ross chose to attend UNL College of Law, and Karen pursued a promising career in corporate finance.

 

A Leap of Faith: Starting Pesek Law and Prioritizing Family

Karen’s corporate career led her to a year-long project in Mexico City, where Ross paused law school to move with her. This experience strengthened their bilingual skills and reaffirmed their commitment to serving the Spanish-speaking community.

After returning to Nebraska, they made a bold decision—instead of Karen continuing in corporate finance and Ross taking a traditional law job, they would start their own law firm.

Their goal was clear:

1. Create a bilingual law firm to ensure Spanish speakers had equal access to legal services.
2. Work together as business partners, with Karen handling the financial and administrative side while Ross focused on legal representation.
3. Build a life that allowed them to prioritize family, including their future children.

The early years were challenging—Karen managed the business from home while pregnant with their first child, and Ross took on any case that came through the door. But they remained focused on living within their means and building their firm strategically.

 

Financial Literacy: Building Wealth Through Smart Decisions

A major theme of Karen’s story is financial literacy. She believes that many families—especially immigrant families—lack financial education, leading to debt traps and financial struggles.

Karen and Ross took a disciplined approach to money, ensuring they:

• Lived within their means instead of trying to keep up with appearances.
• Avoided debt, which gave them financial freedom to take risks, like starting their own firm.
• Had open financial discussions as a couple, including monthly financial meetings to track expenses and set goals.

To keep financial conversations constructive rather than stressful, they started a tradition:

• Once a month, they would go out to a nice dinner—but the condition was that they had to talk about their finances.
• This helped them stay accountable while making financial discussions feel like a shared mission rather than a conflict.

Karen encourages others to remove the stigma around discussing money and to approach financial planning as a team effort.

 

Giving Back: Legal Clinics and Scholarships for Immigrants

With Pesek Law established, Karen and Ross felt compelled to give back to their community. They launched Pesek for Good, a philanthropic branch of their business, with three major initiatives:

1. Free Legal Clinic

Recognizing that many Spanish-speaking immigrants lacked access to affordable legal advice, they started a free legal clinic at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Omaha.

Every Monday night, attorneys from Pesek Law volunteer their time to:

• Answer legal questions and provide guidance.
• Help families understand legal documents to prevent scams.
• Ensure Spanish-speaking residents are treated fairly under the law.

This program has been running for over 13 years and remains a lifeline for the community.

2. South Omaha Business Improvement

Karen and her team are active in beautification and development efforts in South Omaha, including planting flowers, improving storefronts, and organizing community cleanups.

3. True Potential Scholarship

Perhaps the most impactful initiative, this scholarship program helps undocumented and DACA students access higher education.

Many immigrant students cannot apply for federal aid or traditional scholarships, so True Potential partners with community colleges to provide financial support and mentorship.

Karen personally guides students through:

• College applications
• Financial planning
• Course selection

She sees herself as a mentor and advocate, ensuring these students have the same opportunities that she had.

 

Raising Bilingual, Community-Minded Kids

Karen and Ross are also intentional about raising their children to be bilingual and community-oriented. Their kids:

• Attend Omaha Public Schools’ dual-language program, ensuring they can read and write fluently in Spanish.
• Participate in community service, such as planting flowers in South Omaha.
• Spend time in Mexico each year to maintain their cultural connection.

Karen believes that cultural pride and language skills will open doors for her children, just as they did for her.

 

Final Thoughts: Success Through Service

Karen’s story is one of perseverance, purpose, and community impact. She has turned her personal experiences into a mission to help others—whether through legal aid, scholarships, financial literacy, or advocacy.

Her advice for others?

• Invest in education—it is the foundation for opportunity.
• Prioritize financial literacy—smart money management leads to long-term freedom.
• Give back to your community—lifting others up strengthens everyone.

For those interested in supporting the True Potential Scholarship, visit truepotentialscholarship.org.

 

This blog post is based on a transcript from the Omaha Mom Talks podcast episode released on March 12th 2025.

Omaha Mom Talks is all about creating connection for moms in Omaha, Nebraska. Join your host, Jessie Gutierrez, a mental health therapist and mom of two, to explore the joys and struggles of motherhood, the importance of mental health, and the best Omaha has to offer. Whether you’re a new mom or a seasoned pro, each episode brings you expert advice, community stories, and local gems to support you on your motherhood journey.

Edited by Grace Dunbar