Mara is a middle school Spanish teacher at Bernotas Middle School in Crystal Lake, IL. She grew up in Skokie, IL and went to Bradley University in Peoria, IL. She enjoys cooking, crocheting, watching movies, playing on her computer, and watching Adam play video games. She's a big Cubs fan, and is close to her family. Her mom, Mimi, and stepdad, David, live in Evanston, IL while her sister, Leigh, lives in Chicago. Her dad, Steve, lives in Eugene, Oregon but has spent the last few months traveling the US and South America.

She and Adam live in Hoffman Estates with their 2 cats and Raven the Rottweiler.