Finding her voice, helping others find theirs: Dr. Kara Burnett’s journey to Sinclair

When Dr. Kara Burnett first stepped into a communication studies classroom as an undergraduate, she did not know she was beginning a career that would span decades and shape countless student voices. 

What she did know was that something about communication, about the way people connect, speak and understand each other sparked her curiosity in a way no other subject had.

Her journey to Sinclair College was anything but straightforward. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she spent nearly 10 years working in Washington, D.C., first as a meeting planner for the American Association of Clinical Chemists and later in association management. 

“I helped plan and design their conventions and conferences, everything from registration to booking hotels, working with hotel staff, setting up meeting rooms and checking people in,” Burnett said. 

Those years built organizational skills but her heart was not fully in it. The turning point came when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Burnett moved back to Ohio, taking a position as the executive officer for the Hamilton-Fairfield-Oxford Board of Realtors. 

While she valued the experience, Burnett still felt the pull of communication studies and returned to school for her master’s degree, eventually completing her doctorate in 2004. That decision set her on the path to teaching. 

“I started teaching in 1998 while I was still in grad school and I just kept that teaching thing going,” Burnett said. 

Yet, breaking into a full-time faculty role proved difficult. For more than a decade she pieced together adjunct positions in California and Chicago. Sometimes teaching on six different campuses, often driving hours each day. 

“I spent more time as an adjunct than I have as a full-time teacher,” Burnett said. “Every time I applied for a job, either they decided not to hire anyone at all, or somebody else got it.”

By 2014, she was nearly ready to give up. A counselor encouraged her to expand her job search outside of Illinois. On the verge of quitting, she applied to Sinclair and finally, everything clicked. 

“When I needed it, it was there,” Burnett said. 

Her parents were thrilled to have her back in Ohio and she has been teaching at Sinclair ever since.

Today, Dr. Burnett teaches interpersonal communication and public speaking, though she has also led courses in intercultural and small group communication. 

Her teaching philosophy centers on helping students discover confidence in their own voices. 

“I told my students today, my goal as a teacher is that when they leave my class, they’ll be out in the world and something will happen that’s communication-based, and a theory will pop in their head,” Burnett said. “If that makes them more confident in their communication, then I’ve done my job.”

For many students, her classroom is a place of trust and encouragement. She recalls with pride the moments when shy or nervous students begin to open up whether in class discussions, after-hours chats or even in humorous one-on-one questions like how to talk to girls.

Her passion for teaching is simple but enduring. 

“When I got done teaching this morning, I came in and the chair of our department said, ‘You have a big smile on your face. Why are you smiling?’ And I said, ‘I love teaching. I just love being in the classroom and talking with students.’,” Burnett said.

As for advice to students beginning their own academic journeys, Burnett offers two pieces of wisdom: Take at least one class every semester just because it interests you and talk to your instructors. 

“They’re humans, we have office hours for you. Come talk to us,” Burnett said.

Looking ahead, Burnett sees retirement on the horizon but is not slowing down just yet. She hopes to develop a study-abroad program in Laos, inspired by her own international research experience. She is also interested in exploring ways technology, especially virtual reality and artificial intelligence can be used ethically and creatively in the classroom.

For someone who once struggled to find her own voice, Burnett has built a career devoted to helping others find theirs. At Sinclair, her story is proof that persistence, passion and a willingness to take one more chance can make all the difference.

Noah Schlarman, executive editor

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