Part Four

Meet the Visionary & Heart Behind the Global Movement.

Part One

Becoming an Adult at Four Years Old & Finding My Faith

At four years old, I was molested by my adopted dad, for some reason when I froze that day, my little brain could not comprehend it so I turned it into.

He must be gay and I must’ve been adopted into his family to help him come out and become who he was truly meant to be. He contracted the AIDS virus and later due to complications passed away from pancreatic cancer. I was so proud of him. I stood by his side with every breath he took.

My adopted mother on the other hand, could never show her feelings. She was cold as ice. Never a hug a kiss or talking story at night she was unable to grieve the loss of her baby four days old and the death of her true love.

Therefore I was adopted to help her grieve. She and I would go visit her babies’s gravesite every weekend. I could never filll the shoes that she needed.

So at the age of 4 years old, my life changed forever trauma forced me to grow up long before I understand what childhood was supposed to feel like.

I received my love from the community and for years I searched for a place I truly belonged and could feel safe and accepted.

All I ever wanted was my biological family.. looking back now I can see that even in my darkest moments God never left my side.

My faith became a foundation by carrying me through every chapter that followed.

Part Two

The Little Girl Was Safe Behind the Cover of a Magazine

I was discovered by CoverGirl at just 13 years old. At 16, my adoptive parents handed me a one way ticket to Italy with no money, no plan, and no one waiting for me on the other side. They simply said, See ya. Have a great life.

There I was, alone in a foreign country, unable to speak the language. I had no choice but to create a plan for myself.

I managed to secure representation with modeling agencies throughout Europe and became one of the top working models for decades.

From the outside, people saw beauty, success, magazines, commercials, fashion shows, and a glamorous lifestyle. But inside, I was still the little girl searching for safety, identity, and a place where I truly belonged.

The camera gave me confidence. The runway gave me purpose. But neither could free me from the trauma I carried home with me each night.

Part Three

The Woman Behind the Smile

Modeling opened incredible doors for me around the world. No matter where I was, I would find a church and walk inside. It did not matter whether there was a service taking place. I would simply sit quietly, and I always felt such a deep sense of peace.

Traveling the world gave me the opportunity to grow, learn valuable life lessons, and develop street smarts that were truly on steroids.

I became cultured and learned how to connect with people from almost every background and every part of the world. Yet no matter where I traveled or how many people I met, I still longed to find my biological family.

After several relationships that began beautifully but eventually became dangerous, I moved back to the United States. I married my best friend, became the mother of three children, and later the grandmother of two amazing little boys.

I built a successful career in real estate and dedicated many years of my life to serving others. I volunteered with young women who had aged out of foster care, locking arms with them as they rebuilt their lives through education, housing, employment, and hope.

From the outside, my life looked successful. Behind closed doors, however, I was fighting battles no one could see.

Eventually, I found my entire biological family something only a very small percentage of people are ever able to do.

Today, we are building beautiful relationships and making up for the years we lost.

I Survived a Story I Was Never Supposed to Tell

Leaving a controlling 37-year marriage took two earlier attempts. The third time, I knew I had to make it stick.

At the same time, I was battling a rare autoimmune disease, undergoing chemotherapy, giving myself three injections every month, enduring multiple surgeries, losing the sight in my right eye, surviving a stroke, and facing countless medical challenges.

Throughout my entire marriage, I had never seen a bank statement, tax return, or financial document. I had to learn how to survive on my own all over again.

But this chapter is not about what happened to me.

It is about discovering what I was capable of becoming.

Part Five

Turning Trauma Into Purpose

Instead of allowing my past to define me, I allowed it to prepare me.

I transformed my garage into Kara's Closet, helping women rediscover their confidence while rebuilding my own life. That small beginning grew into something much bigger.

Today my vision includes Kara’s Lighthouse Sanctuary, coaching, speaking, community events, real estate, educational programs, and the Kara Cuz She Cares Podcast. Every part of my journey now serves someone else’s. Because pain has purpose when we choose to pass hope forward.

Through the podcast and the two day retreat, women become empowered. They discover the gifts they have always carried inside of them, find their voice, understand their purpose, and make the decision never to dim their light or shrink to fit in again.

They become the women they were created to be.

Our children are watching, and they are the next generation of leaders. That is why the Legacy Leaders Pilot Program was born to help children discover what kind of learners they are and understand why the way they learn is so important.

When children understand how they learn, they begin building confidence from an early age. They are also introduced to tools such as juggling and mindful coloring, along with the science behind how these activities can support focus, emotional well being, and healthy decision making.

The goal is to help children become who they were created to be not who the world tells them they should be.

Part Six

Before you read my story, I want to express my gratitude, because I have never shared it this openly before. I am trusting you with my story, just as I hope you will trust me with yours.

I am proud to say that my morals and values are solid. They are the foundation of who I am. Even through abuse, hardship, and the darkest storms of my life, I never lost sight of them or who I am.

I have never forgotten where I came from or the people who helped me along the way. Even as a little girl, I believed that when you are blessed to discover your gifts, follow your passions, and build a career, you have a responsibility to use that platform in any way you can to uplift others and pay it forward.

As an international real estate agent, I realized I was not only locking arms with people to buy and sell homes. It was so much bigger than that.

I was helping families become part of communities where they could build their lives, raise their children, neighbors would become friends and extended family, where they could create generational wealth, and leave behind legacies they could be proud of.

That perspective changed everything. It became part of the foundation for the global movement you are about to discover.

Behind Every Movement, There’s a Heart

Kara Cuz She Cares is more than a brand. It is a global movement built on one powerful belief: "We are not carbon copies.

Every person was created with unique gifts, a unique voice, and a unique purpose. Every story matters."

Through 'Chain Breakers', we help people break unhealthy cycles such as addiction, alcoholism, abuse, and the patterns that have been passed down from one generation to the next.

Through 'Legacy Makers', we inspire people to leave the world better than they found it and create a legacy they are proud to leave behind.

Through 'Making Mondays Matter', we remind people that today is not their day to disappear.

'Community' once saved my life as a child. Now, my mission is to empower women and remind them that they were never broken. Their light may have become dim, and they may have learned to shrink to fit in because of their circumstances. That is not where their story ends.

One woman. One family. One community. One legacy at a time. Welcome to the heart, the purpose, and the vision behind this global movement.