Career
Kara Pike Inman
Wilmington, NC
“I think I have the best job in the world because I get to work with students who are engaged in their education and I get to assist in facilitating life-changing experiences for them,” shares Kara Pike Inman, Director of Education Abroad at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Kara was raised in Alaska, where her family exposed her to different cultural experiences at a young age. In high school, she had the opportunity to learn alongside foreign exchange students, fueling her love for different cultures. Since then, she has visited more than 40 different countries and resides in Wilmington with her husband of almost four years, Josh Inman. Kara started her career at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2005 as the Assistant Director of Education Abroad, and in 2014, was promoted to Director. In her role she works with faculty who lead study abroad experiences for students, assists with logistics of international education, and works with students who want to study abroad, complete international internships, or participate in international service-learning experiences. In addition to her Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and her Master’s degree in International Affairs, Kara recently earned her Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership. Making it official, she is Dr. Kara Pike Inman! It sounds so amazing! I Admire U Kara, for your huge heart that molds the lives of young adults, your dedication to earn your Doctoral Degree, your love to learn about others different from yourself, your sense of adventure, and your killer sand volleyball skills.
Kara (far right) led a study abroad program to Belize with a group of students. They learned about Garifuna culture and got to drum with a local Garifuna musician.
Kara in her own words...
1. Congratulations, Kara! You recently earned your Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership, focusing on Higher Education Administration. How does it feel to have your hard work pay off? Why was it important for you to achieve this incredible honor?
Thank you! It feels so wonderful to be done. To be honest, the idea for me to get my doctoral degree was actually recommended by my former supervisor at a university I worked at before coming to North Carolina. She had noticed that higher academic credentials were being required of people in top leadership positions, and encouraged me to consider heading in that direction. It seemed like the ideal time to start my doctoral journey, and while it was definitely a lot of hard work and sacrifice, it is great to be done and I look forward to seeing what doors may open as a result.
2. You’ve worked at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for 12 years, and in 2014, you were promoted to Director of Education Abroad. What’s it like being in your role?
I think I have the best job in the world because I get to work with students who are engaged in their education and I get to assist in facilitating life-changing experiences for them. There is nothing more wonderful than having a student talk to you about how their stereotypes were torn down or how they have become inspired to work to make a positive change in the world as a result of their international experience.
Thank you! It feels so wonderful to be done. To be honest, the idea for me to get my doctoral degree was actually recommended by my former supervisor at a university I worked at before coming to North Carolina. She had noticed that higher academic credentials were being required of people in top leadership positions, and encouraged me to consider heading in that direction. It seemed like the ideal time to start my doctoral journey, and while it was definitely a lot of hard work and sacrifice, it is great to be done and I look forward to seeing what doors may open as a result.
2. You’ve worked at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for 12 years, and in 2014, you were promoted to Director of Education Abroad. What’s it like being in your role?
I think I have the best job in the world because I get to work with students who are engaged in their education and I get to assist in facilitating life-changing experiences for them. There is nothing more wonderful than having a student talk to you about how their stereotypes were torn down or how they have become inspired to work to make a positive change in the world as a result of their international experience.
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3. You held the Assistant Director of Education Abroad position from 2005-2014. How did you know you were ready for the Director role? What would you say is your biggest accomplishment in your current position?
I had actually served as the acting director for both education abroad and international student & scholar services for 7 months in 2006, so I knew that I could do the job. However, when I was in the acting director role in 2006, I had only been working with education abroad exclusively for about 7 months, since my previous experience was more with international students and cultural programming. At that point I didn’t have the experience or a full understanding of the scope and possibilities related to education abroad, but when the position came back open in 2014, I felt poised to lead these efforts and take our programming and student mobility to the next level.
As for my biggest accomplishment, there is a national ranking system that ranks the top 40 higher education institutions nationally in terms of the number of students who study abroad. When I started at UNCW, we were nowhere on that list, and now we have climbed up to being #6 nationally for our type of institution for the number of students who study abroad. While I believe much more in the mission of international education than I care about the ranking, for me it reinforces that of all of the work we have done is paying off and that we have been successful in helping a large number of students gain a global perspective. For me, seeing students’ eyes open to how wonderful our world is, and all of the opportunities available to create positive change are our biggest accomplishments.
4. What nuggets of advice would you share with a woman who wants to elevate her career to the next level?
Go for it! I would encourage women who want to elevate their career to talk to someone who is in the sort of position they would ideally like to have and 1) let them know that you would someday like to hold a position like theirs, and 2) ask what skills or qualities you can work on that would make you more lucrative in that future role. I also really value people who aren’t afraid to tackle problems, as well as people who think creatively and come up with outside of the box solutions. So, take that advice you get, develop yourself as a professional, and let your creativity shine along the way! (And surround yourself with a wonderful group of supporters who can celebrate your accomplishments!)
"There is nothing more wonderful than having a student talk to you about how their stereotypes were torn down or how they have become inspired to work to make a positive change in the world as a result of their international experience."
They reunite. Marco was a foreign exchange student at Kara's high school.
5. You grew up in Alaska, and at your high school you had foreign exchange students from all over the world. In what ways did this experience inspire you to study International Affairs?
I loved spending time and getting to know the exchange students who were at our high school! They taught me so much about their home countries, and it was fun to see U.S. culture from their perspectives. I’ve actually keep in touch with several of them, and Marco (one of these exchange students) was actually an influence in me choosing to study abroad in Costa Rica when I was in college. 15 years after I studied there I was back in Costa Rica for work and Marco and I were able to meet back up and talk about our lives and how much Costa Rica had changed. These exchange students really opened my eyes to their home cultures and helped me begin developing friendships around the world.
6. Why do you think it’s important for students to study abroad? What is one of your favorite student testimonials after completing their time abroad?
Honestly, I can think of few reasons why students shouldn’t study abroad. If they are studying history, why not go see Mayan ruins, or the Coliseum, or the terra cotta warriors firsthand instead of just reading about them in a book? If you study marine biology, go study right off of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. If you are learning political science, go live in another political system. I can’t think of a single major that can be enhanced by studying abroad. Plus, I think studying abroad helps students become more adaptable, flexible, be better problem solvers, and gain lots of other qualities and characteristics that employers are looking for. There are so many scholarships and grants to help fund the experience, and for many students, college represents the time in their lives when they have the most freedom and flexibility to travel internationally. Once you have a job with only a couple weeks of vacation time or have a child, spouse, or mortgage, it becomes much more challenging to pack up and leave to explore another country for an extended amount of time. I always tell students that now is the time to go ride camels in the Sahara, rather than waiting until they are pushing a stroller through the desert!
One of my favorite student experiences was on a program to England and Spain that I led with a group of students. One of the students had never been to an airport, hadn’t flown on an airplane, had not been outside of North Carolina (let alone to another country), had never ridden any form of public transportation, hadn’t tried seafood (other than shrimp), and the list goes on. We began calling it her trip of firsts. It was so much fun to see her transition from being nervous and apprehensive to becoming confident in her abilities to navigate and thrive within another culture. It is so incredibly rewarding to have students tell you that you helped them have an experience that changed their life and their perspectives and put them on a completely new trajectory.
Kara and her husband, Josh, when she got her doctorate.
7. Kara, you are one lucky woman! You’ve visited over 40 different countries, with Botswana and Zambia as your latest new additions. Which countries would you say have left the biggest impression on you?
Oh my goodness. All of them! I’ve loved and been impressed by each country for different reasons. Brazil for its breathtaking scenery. Singapore for its vibrancy. Italy for its food. Zambia for its incredible wildlife. Lots of countries have become really special to me for the friendships I have developed there. Cuba may have been the one that made me think the most, because it was different in many ways I didn’t expect, and it wasn’t different in lots of ways I had anticipated. It was wonderful to be able to speak with locals there to learn about what daily life in Cuba is really like.
8. You shared, “My big dream is to write a series of children’s books that introduce children to other countries and cultures.” This sounds amazing! How did you come up with the idea? Why do you think it’s important to introduce these topics at a young age?
When I was little we had these colorful 1980s Childcraft encyclopedias and I vividly remember looking at them and oogling over the pictures and descriptions of the 7 original wonders of the world. My parents also seized opportunities within our hometown to expose me to other cultures, and I think all of these early experiences helped fuel my fascination with learning about other people and cultures. We live in an age where there is so much fear of the unknown, so I’d love to help children to be curious rather than fearful about people and things that are different from them. Plus, if kids can read about castles and pirates and kangaroos while simultaneously learning about the world, it sounds like a win-win to me!
"My parents also seized opportunities within our hometown to expose me to other cultures, and I think all of these early experiences helped fuel my fascination with learning about other people and cultures. We live in an age where there is so much fear of the unknown, so I’d love to help children to be curious rather than fearful about people and things that are different from them."
9. You are officially Dr. Kara Pike Inman. I’m curious, what’s next for you?
Great question, but I honestly have no clue! I plan to keep working in international education, but on the side I’d love to work on publishing my children’s books, I’ve thought about starting a podcast about global travel, or starting a business where I lead food and fitness tours around the globe. Maybe we should create and co-lead an I Admire U inspired global experience?
10. I Admire U, whom do you admire?
Sarah Warren
Great question, but I honestly have no clue! I plan to keep working in international education, but on the side I’d love to work on publishing my children’s books, I’ve thought about starting a podcast about global travel, or starting a business where I lead food and fitness tours around the globe. Maybe we should create and co-lead an I Admire U inspired global experience?
10. I Admire U, whom do you admire?
Sarah Warren
Students in Greece
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