Kara holds a Masters Degree in Community Arts Education from Lesley University and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in English from UMass Lowell. Kara has been involved in the BGCA Movement for 7.5 years. Prior to becoming the Club’s Teen Director, Kara was previously at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell as the Cultural Enrichment Program Coordinator. She also worked at BGC Lowell as a Youth Development Managerial Intern and in the Teen Pathways department as the College and Career Center Lead. Kara has also worked as a substitute teacher for Lowell Public Schools, and as a Program Intern through TeenBLOCK at the Lowell Community Health Center. In her current role, Kara works with all Club Members grades 6 - 12 on providing 1:1 mentoring as teens develop their individual trajectories for their futures. Kara helps all teens ages 11 to 18 with resume skill building, SAT/ACT prep, financial aid, and college and high school info sessions. She also coordinates and chaperones culturally enriching field trips, college tours, outside activities and guest speakers for all Club members ages 11 to 18. Kara enjoys implementing cultural enrichment programming into the Teen program, including: making collaborative/ solo art, having conversations/ group discussions based around identity, culture, & self-love. She also assists Club teens in both the Youth of the Year and Junior Youth of the Year application processes and runs/helps lead both the Club's middle and high school aged leadership groups, Torch and Keystone Clubs. When Kara is not working at the Club, she enjoys participating in community service and leadership opportunities. She is the Founder and Owner of her own Apparel/Merch and Community Arts, Self-Love Education based brand, Spark Your Sunshine, and enjoys thrift shopping, yoga, and spending time with her family, cats, and friends. Kara works at the Club because her passion is helping and serving others, and because working here allows her to impact the daily lives of our incredible youth in the city of Newton. Kara loves being part of the devoted staff team and feels that she is always learning from Club members and alongside her fellow colleagues.