Kara Ieva (she/her/ella) holds many identities. In addition to being a wife, mom, advocate, and co-conspirator in working to dismantle oppressive educational practices, policies, and systems, she is a Professor in the Counseling in Educational Settings program at Rowan University. Her educational career spans over 25 years as a former Spanish teacher, administrator, school counselor, and counselor educator. Kara uses her research for advocacy by using asset-based approaches to empower student agency while promoting equity and wellness (academic and mental health). Her specific interests include social emotional development (with students, in classrooms, embedded in content, educator SEL, and systemic tiered interventions centered on promoting healthy identities. She consults and delivers professional development nationally to PK-12 counselors, teachers, and administrators on strategies for cultivating a safe, equitable, and inclusive mental health and neurodiverse cultures in schools.