Independence Day carried a special meaning for Karen Brisendine, one of ARUP's first 100 employees. On July 4, Karen celebrated her first day of retirement after 42 years with the company.

Hired in 1984, she is the last of ARUP's original employees to hang up her lab coat, and as she did, ARUP's Executive Committee honored her with a standing ovation.

"Karen exemplified ARUP's Five Pillars," CEO Andy Theurer said. "She helped build ARUP during its earliest days and modeled integrity, excellence, learning, service, and teamwork."

Karen's commitment to learning continued throughout her career. In 2014, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix while completing biology coursework and labs at Weber State University. She later enrolled in Salt Lake Community College's Medical Laboratory Technology program (now Medical Laboratory Science) to deepen her understanding of laboratory science and further her career.

That desire to keep learning also shaped her path at ARUP.

"There were a couple of times I thought about leaving," Karen recalled. "But then I thought, 'Why? I can just move to another department.'"

Rather than pursuing opportunities elsewhere, Karen found new challenges within ARUP. Over the years, she worked in Microbiology, Accounting and Payroll, Client Services, and, most recently, the Mycology and Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB) laboratory.

That perspective allowed her to build an entire career within one organization while continually exploring new opportunities and challenges.

Looking back, Karen said she's amazed by ARUP's growth and innovation. What began as a startup that spun out of the University of Utah evolved into a nationally recognized reference laboratory serving patients and healthcare systems across the country with nearly 5,000 employees.

While the laboratories, technologies, and workforce changed over the years, one thing consistently made ARUP feel like home: "The people," Karen said.

Her coworkers are also what she will miss most, she said.

For those who are currently building their careers at ARUP, she offered one last piece of advice, "Don't fear change."

Lindsay Mabry, [email protected]