Kara Nilan– Project Coordinator and Administrator

Kara Nilan is SLI’s Project Coordinator & Administrator. Kara graduated from Bowdoin College in May 2011 with a degree in Neuroscience. The 2007 Gatorade softball player of the year in Massachusetts, Kara was pitching in her first collegiate start for Bowdoin when a comeback line drive hit her in the head. Forced by her brain injury to take an academic leave of absence, Kara returned to school the following year, when she abandoned plans to pursue a career in public health policy and began her studies in neuroscience.

During college, Kara also spent three summers working for the city of Pittsfield’s Community Development Office, where her responsibilities included a parkland accessibility study and the creation of a historical downtown walking tour.

At Bowdoin, she returned to the softball diamond, and in 2010 was named conference pitcher of the year and led her team to the NCAA regionals. A concussion resulting from a collision at first base during her senior year, however, forced her to quit softball for good. It was around that time she attended an ACT presented by SLI Co-Founder and CEO, Chris Nowinski at Bowdoin College. Walking with her class at graduation while still a few credits short of her diploma, Kara spent the summer finishing her degree by studying art and cultural history in Italy, and began work at SLI in the fall of 2011. She lives in Boston.