A first generation graduate of Portland Community College and Reed College, O'Hara's work has appeared at NBC News, Rolling Stone, The Daily Best, The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Daily Dot, and more. While still a student in Oregon, she was a contributor to Portland's Pulitzer Prize-winning Willamette Week. O'Hara is a proud recipient of the Oregon GED. Follow her on Twitter at @maryemilyohara.