A Spark for Students: Kara Saunders Takes the Torch as Board Chair
“Let’s light this candle!” It’s what Kara Saunders’ favorite college professor would say to fire up his students—and it stuck with her. Equivalent to Nike’s “Just Do It,” the phrase became a personal mantra. That spark has carried Saunders through a dynamic career and now fuels her as the newly appointed board chair of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.
From Volunteer to Board Leader
Saunders was introduced to the Education Foundation through a friend who suggested she get involved. Over coffee, she quickly realized her values aligned with the Foundation’s mission. She began volunteering on several committees and officially joined the board in 2019.
“I got here through passion and having a big heart for teachers and students,” Saunders said. “I want students to have time to discover themselves. The best ideas come to us when we have space to think—to take those pauses to help discover who you are.”
Early Life and Educational Roots
Raised in Maine, Saunders attended public schools and was always on the move—playing basketball, softball and swimming competitively. “Movement is my life,” she said. “I get cranky if I’m not active.”
One teacher in particular made a lasting impression: her math teacher, who offered support both academically and personally. “She picked up on things,” Saunders recalled. “If I was hungry, she’d share her snack with me. She inspired me to stretch beyond my comfort zone.”
A Pivot Toward Purpose
Saunders began college at Castleton University in Vermont with plans to pursue nursing—her mother’s profession. But she soon realized that path wasn’t the right fit. “I didn’t like giving shots to babies,” she admitted with a laugh.
She transferred to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island to study advertising. It was there she met that favorite professor who had given Kara her mantra. He encouraged her to compete in the National Student Advertising Competition. She won her district and traveled to San Francisco for the national round. That moment of validation lit her path forward. “It showed me I was good at this—and I never looked back,” she said.
She launched a successful career in advertising, marketing and sales, combining her interest in health and wellness with her professional expertise. Saunders served as interim marketing director for Southeast Georgia Health System before relocating to Sarasota, where she became general manager of HealthFit for five years. Later, she led rebranding efforts as Director of Communications at Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation.
Finding Balance and Giving Back
After her second child was born, Saunders reconsidered her pace. Working 50-hour weeks, she decided to launch her own business and became certified in wellness counseling through Cornell University.
Today, she works part-time as a health and wellness coach at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where she leads stress management sessions through the RENEW program. She also teaches yoga—privately and at The Bay—and volunteers with the Girl Scouts.
A Passion for Possibility
Though Saunders has long supported the Foundation, her new role as board chair represents the perfect intersection of her skills and passion.
“The Education Foundation is able to reach students when they need it the most,” she said. “Until the student feels their own potential, it doesn’t matter. We help open their eyes, know themselves, like themselves. We help them open the door and make a difference in the world.”
She hopes to keep the Foundation’s focus on impact—how programs are changing lives for students and teachers alike. “That’s what my professor did for me,” she said. “When you make that kind of difference for someone, you’re unstoppable.”
Saunders sees education as the engine that shaped her confidence and career, and she’s committed to giving students the same foundation.
“We’re a resource to help them get unstuck. To help them figure out: Who am I? What makes me happy? What can I contribute to this world? And that’s a journey.”