Kara McBride brings much experience to the Nazareth Theology Department: she began her teaching career as part-time campus minister at Trinity High School where she went on to teach for seventeen years. Fun fact, McBride, her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all attended Trinity as students, too. 

Her academic path initially led her to study psychology, but it was her minor in theology that was serendipitous. The decision to begin teaching theology was deeply influenced by her volunteer work with women facing addiction; this experience profoundly shaped her understanding of the human spirit and the importance of self worth. 

McBride’s dedication to ministry and education converged during her time serving for the seminary in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago in the early 90s. Through this experience, she discovered her true passion: working with youth. After graduate school, she realized teaching was where her heart truly resided, this was discovered particularly from a rewarding experience working with children in Little Village. 

McBride describes coming to Nazareth as “invigorating and inspiring.” She said that her first impressions of the Naz community have been overwhelmingly positive. The warmth of the welcome and the clarity of the Sisters’ mission resonates with her. Through the mission, she sees the entire school community creating an environment where students and faculty thrive. 

McBride believes that it is essential for a high school to have a mission so deeply embedded. She is genuinely impressed by how it permeates everyday life here. 

She said the most rewarding aspect of her role at Nazareth is the daily engagement within the “Walsh community.” “The energy and enthusiasm I feel in this setting will be cherished and help the school and myself grow in faith, and education. Each day presents new challenges, but they are opportunities for growth that I embrace wholeheartedly.” 

Outside of the classroom, McBride enjoys exploring new places – she even spent a year in Israel. She has a taste for fashion, influenced significantly by her grandmother’s impeccable style and the hand-me-down treasures from her mother. She describes fashion as “just not an appearance; it’s an expression of joy and creativity that I love to share with my students and colleagues.”