In September 2021, I lost my daughter Karli and her unborn child to a senseless act of gun violence in my hometown of McKeesport. The pain my family and I have carried since that day is overwhelming: anger, sadness and above all, a feeling of helplessness.
Karli was an amazing human being. She was kind, courageous, confident. She was the kind of person who always sought to make the lives of the people around her better. And when she was taken from us, I had to find a way to honor that spirit — not just in memory, but in action.
One of the members of my extended family, Keelan Rozier, reminded me early on that I was not helpless. That I had the power to make a difference. That we all do — if we take action and believe.
So that’s exactly what my wife Mahreen and I set out to do.
Gun violence is running rampant across this country. Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. Every time I see a school shooting on the news, or hear about another shooting in McKeesport, I feel the pain of those families — and it opens my own wounds all over again. We see it so often that we start to become numb. We can’t let that happen. We cannot accept this as normal.
But I also know that while this problem must ultimately be solved in the political arena, we can make a meaningful impact right now — outside of politics.
I am truly blessed, as I’m living the American dream. I grew up in McKeesport, in a housing project, with very little. Penn State changed my life. Education gave me the opportunity to lift myself beyond my circumstances, and I went on to play in the NFL and build a career in finance, and eventually serve on Penn State’s board of trustees. That kind of upward mobility is possible in America — but it isn’t equally available to everyone, especially for young people whose lives have been shattered by violence.
As I searched for ways to support families affected by gun violence, I could think of no better way to honor Karli’s memory than to help students achieve the American dream by supporting their education and creating a better tomorrow.
That’s how the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation was born.
Our goal from the beginning was simple: start at home. For me, that means Penn State and McKeesport. Penn State Greater Allegheny sits right in my hometown — Karli lived up the street from that campus and knew many of the students there. It was the natural place to begin. We provided our first scholarships there, offering financial support and mentorship to students whose lives had been touched by gun violence.
And now, entering our fifth year, what began at home has grown into something we’re deeply proud of: in just four years, the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation has raised over $1 million, endowed seven scholarships, provided nine scholarships and celebrated three KSBT scholars who already have graduated college. Those three graduates are not just statistics, they are young men and women who were knocked down by tragedy and chose to get back up. They are entering careers, building families and giving back to their communities. They are the living proof that when you invest in people, the return is immeasurable.
That impact ripples outward in ways we can’t always measure but never doubt.
Every scholar we support carries Karli’s spirit into the world with them — into classrooms, boardrooms and communities that need exactly what she had: kindness, courage and an unrelenting desire to make things better for the people around them.
Our vision is bold. We’re not stopping at Penn State. The next step is expanding to universities across Pennsylvania, and ultimately building a nationally recognized foundation that provides financial support and mentorship to students affected by gun violence wherever they are.
Karli’s spirit is what motivates us. The driving force behind achieving that vision is the generosity of people in this community who believe, as we do, that education is the most powerful tool we have against the cycle of violence and poverty.
The fifth annual Better Tomorrow Gala will be held June 12 at Acrisure Stadium.
To support our scholars and help us build on this mission, visit us at KSBT26.givesmart.com.
Karli would not have wanted a memorial. She would have wanted a party — and a movement. We intend to give her both.