Sara Jane Castro of The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

Ever hear of a story where one grave mistake actually led to a rewarding outcome? On this week’s episode we had the pleasure speaking with Sara Jane Castro, the Marketing and Communications Manager for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. Initially wanting to pursue a degree in print journalism, Sara explains how a clerical mistake accidentally marked her down as a PR student. After unintentionally sparking her interest in PR, she pursued a Bachelors in Mass Communication and Public Relations from Georgie College & State University. As an avid writer, storyteller, and reader, Sara expresses her love for content creating and innovative communication. Tune in to hear about Sara’s journey in searching for a career path that not only allowed her to demonstrate and strengthen her skill-sets, but also gave her an opportunity to give back to the world and make a difference.

With over 13 years of experience in marketing and communication, she has worked for a variety of nonprofit and corporate settings. Sara Jane Castro launched her career as the Public Relations Coordinator and Newsletter Editor at a fast-paced cooking show called “VeryVera.” Looking for a slower-paced environment, she began working as a Communications Specialist at a church called Trinity on the Hill UMC. Venturing off into the legal world, she was the Communications Supervisor at McCalla Raymer Pierce, LLC, where she supervised a team and learned a lot about management and technical writing. Sara used her passion for storytelling and her desire to reshape her career path to search for work in nonprofit organization, leading her to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. As its Marketing and Communications Manager, she furthers NKFI's mission to improve the health and well-being of people in risk of or affected by kidney disease through prevention, education and empowerment.

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