She was a partner in the firm of Furr, Henshaw and Ohanesian for many years prior to deciding to join forces with her husband as a partner in the Myrtle Beach office of Ohanesian & Ohanesian. Karolan received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of South Carolina. From there she entered law school in 1990, obtaining her Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1993. During her time in law school, she was involved with Student Trial Lawyers and student government.