Kara is a policy associate on the Resources and Initiatives team, where she supports projects such as Advance CTE’s development of a national work-based learning taxonomy and the Annual Year in Review report. She also contributes to state policy initiatives, including the tracking of state policies involving Career Technical Education (CTE).

Prior to joining Advance CTE, Kara worked at the American Council on Education (ACE) as a research associate, where she contributed to national research and policy initiatives that shaped higher education. She co-authored multiple national reports and policy briefs, including a 2025 report on the National Landscape for Credit for Prior Learning. Additionally, she brings previous experience managing multiple national and institutional grants focused on access and opportunity for learners of all backgrounds in educational spaces.

Kara earned a doctorate of philosophy in language, literacy, & culture from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where her research focused on the intersection of race and disability in education policy. She also earned a Master of Science in education from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from UMBC, where she was valedictorian.