“Why NEPA? Because it’s a safe space. I feel like I can really grow here and make a difference.”
Kara Washington’s story begins in Nassau, the Bahamas, and continues in Northeastern Pennsylvania. She grew up on the Caribbean island with her mom in a close-knit family alongside her cousins—who she describes as more like siblings—spending her days swimming, playing basketball and volleyball, and heading to the beach just ten minutes from home. She attended a private Methodist school and credits her upbringing as “just wonderful.”
Growing up, Washington frequently traveled between the Bahamas and the United States, vacationing in Florida and visiting New York to spend time with her American father, who later retired to the Poconos. She spent her senior year of high school living with him and graduated from Pocono Mountain West. Feeling homesick, she returned to the Bahamas to complete two years of college. She then returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania to attend King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, and earned a degree in mass communications with a concentration in broadcasting.
While studying at King’s, Washington interned at WVIA. After graduation, she bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to intern with a major talent management agency, intending to stay. But homesickness hit again, and she returned to the Bahamas where she freelanced and worked at a performing arts theatre. In 2017, she came back to the United States in search of greater opportunities in media. After spending time living and working in New York, Washington returned to the Poconos during the pandemic and reconnected with WVIA—joining the station full-time in 2021.
Now serving as WVIA’s promotions coordinator, Washington manages visual assets across broadcast and digital platforms. She recently produced and directed her debut documentary, Making NEPA Home, which explores the immigrant and refugee experience in the region as part of WVIA’s We Stand Against Hate initiative.
We met Washington at WVIA’s studios to learn more about her story, her work and to ask: Why NEPA?
How long have you lived in NEPA?
Called it home? I would say about five years.
What do you love about your town?
Luzerne specifically, I love the quiet. My neighbors are really cool and kind and always want to be of assistance if I need anything. I just like the calmness of it — it’s very peaceful. I feel very safe here. And Northeastern Pennsylvania on a whole, I like the idea that it’s close enough to get to the city. If I want to go to New York or Philly, it’s not a bad drive, but I also like that I can be isolated to myself and just enjoy the natural atmosphere.
What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?
A couple years ago, we produced this digital series called Pizza!. An amazing filmmaker, Kelly Dessoye, produced 10 episodes and went around Pennsylvania and interviewed all of these wonderful people and talked about their backstory and how they got into pizza. Working in promotions, I would do a lot of behind-the-scenes work, and I do a lot of photography for WVIA as well. So, I joined her a few times and ended up at Pizza Perfect. I have never tasted pizza like that. In the Bahamas we have chain restaurants. We don’t have any local restaurants that specialize in pizza. So, when I tried Pizza Perfect for the first time, that was my go-to. I wouldn’t go anywhere else for like a month.
I also like The Tomato Bar in Pittston; I go there pretty often. And then there’s Bravo Tex-Mex, like right across the street. Anytime I want Mexican, I will head over there. Those are my go-tos.
What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?
That’s a hard one because I am a homebody. I probably do not take advantage of the nature and all of the outdoor activities that exist here. But I’ve been hiking a few times. I’ve camped once. Never again! It’s not for me.
I’m an avid film watcher, so I visit the theater quite often and see the latest films. I actually produce a podcast for WVIA called Pop Shop, where two professors from Misericordia University go way too deep into talking about films and TV, any kind of pop culture. And so, I visit the theater a lot because of that show.
And community is a big thing for me. Anytime I can be around like-minded people and friends, I try to—whatever they want to do—hang out, spend time together.
What’s next for you?
That’s a loaded question. I recently produced and directed a documentary for WVIA called Making NEPA Home. It’s my debut documentary about the immigrant and refugee experience here in the area. I want to continue making documentaries that speak to this area. Our mission at WVIA is to reflect what we hear and see in our communities, and that’s what I want to continue doing— expand and see what’s out there and how to showcase that in a documentary format.
Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?
Coming off of making this documentary, I think there are still some unknowns about people coming into the area. And I do think Northeastern Pennsylvania is a welcoming place, but we could always be better, we could always do better. I hope we have more understanding of the diverse groups of people that come in and the different cultures that amplify and enhance the area. I think if we open up to that, that would be great.
Why NEPA?
You know how things just come into place in your life? I think that’s just what has happened for me. Studying here at King’s College then leaving, coming back, leaving, coming back. There’s always something that just kept bringing me back here. And so why NEPA? Because it’s a safe space. I feel it’s a very safe space, a peaceful place. I feel like I can really grow here and make a difference.
