Cara Brookins, best known as the mom who built her own house using YouTube tutorials, will share her inspiring story Thursday, April 5, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

The UA Little Rock alumna will deliver her keynote speech for Sexual Assault Awareness Month at 6 p.m., followed by a book signing at 7:15 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building.

Brookins, a domestic abuse survivor, is an acclaimed speaker whose courage and passion to build a home for her children watching YouTube videos sparked the interest of a nation. In her speech, she will recall her experiences becoming an entrepreneur as a single mother and her story of struggle and success to overcome an abusive relationship.

She is the best-selling author of eight books, including “Rise, How a House Built a Family,” which tells the story of building her 3,500-square-foot house with the help of her four children by watching YouTube tutorials and doing Google searches for subjects like foundation work, plumbing, and gas lines. News of the family’s story went viral in more than 65 countries and was viewed a billion times. “Rise” has now been optioned to become a major motion picture.

In December 2017, Brookins completed another milestone in her life and graduated Summa Cum Laude from UA Little Rock with a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional and technical writing.

Learn more about Brookins at carabrookins.com.

Photo of Cara Brookins by Ashley Murphey.