Kara started out as the baby of the family with three older sisters. When she was 5, her parents divorced. Both of her parents remarried, and she was lucky enough to end up with six sisters: three older and three younger. 

Kara grew up in beautiful Scott Valley, CA, where the ratio of cows to people is 5 to 1.

The assignment was to write a 1/2 page story. Kara wrote multiple pages and multiple drafts. When she got it back, her teacher had written 4 powerful words on it: "You are a writer." Kara had wanted to become a writer someday, but her teacher's words were all she needed to become one right then. She didn't need to be a grown-up. She just needed to write, and she's been doing so ever since.

Kara taught English, drama, and writing classes for English learners, working with 6th-12th graders. She worked with elementary students through GATE and the YMCA, and she was a program manager for a nonprofit focused on empowering teens.

Although two of these moves were within the same city, others were bigger, like South Dakota to Oregon and California to Washington. As a military spouse, Kara has learned so much from other military families who've gone through huge changes and challenges.

Both her travels abroad and the books she has read have expanded Kara's world. She has been humbled by the generosity of refugees, in awe of her students' perspectives in the U.S. and abroad, and reminded that there's always more to learn. Thanks to her wonderful library, she can do that every day.