40 Under Forty: Kara Mangum

Name: Kara Mangum

Age: 29

Title/Company:

Founder & Executive Director of Our Hearts Align

What is your word and why did you choose it?

Educate. Educating others is at the core of everything I do. Quality education, rooted in truth and service to others, is essential to improving lives and creating endless possibilities.

What aspirations do you have for yourself in the next 40 years?

In the years to come, I will first and always strive to be the best wife and mother I can be. I want to cultivate love within our home and to work together to serve our community as a family.  I hope to travel to each of the United States with our children and to instill a love of learning and adventure within their hearts. I pray I can grow Our Hearts Align to continue to serve those experiencing pregnancy loss across the world in a meaningful way.

Favorite way to give back to the community?

I enjoy partnering with other nonprofits and small businesses in our area to help them accomplish their goals. We are incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful businesses that want to serve and give back to our community.  Whether it is by volunteering, donating to a project, or just showing support, working together allows us to help meet the needs of those in our community.    

What do you love about the Ocala area?

Since I was born and raised in Marion County there is a lot I could say here. Mostly, I love being from a small town that is close to everything. I love that our small town has made an impact on both a national and worldwide level.  I love that we continue to grow, some areas faster than others, yet we preserve the history that brought us to where we are today. I love our culture of horses, outdoor adventures, and events that bring families together. I love our small town.

A few albums or movies you would bring to a deserted island?

Albums: Tim McGraw’s Greatest Hits, Rend Collective’s Good News and A Pentatonix Christmas

Movies: “Legally Blonde,” “God’s Not Dead” series and “The Blind Side”

You never leave home without:

A bag. I LOVE bags! You can often catch me carrying 2-3 different bags at one time. 

If you could tell your 16-year-old self one thing:

Read the Bible more. You can gain all the knowledge in the world ,but without wisdom it means nothing.

Anything else you are super passionate about? 

I am extremely passionate about teaching children and encouraging parents to be involved in their children’s education. Through my blog, “Passion in the Purpose,” I demonstrate how to use real-world, hands-on learning experiences to teach our children. I hope to show that education and life should not be viewed as separate entities, but instead that life itself is vital to our education.

Activities and resources can be found at www.passioninthepurpose.com

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