Zara Etta Halliburton (Zara Etta Kurjak), 38, is a Bosnian refugee from Sarajevo. Along with her parents, Arta Kurjak and Hamza Kurjak, and older brother Razlo Kurjak, 41, she immigrated to Calico Aster, NC, in 1992, when she was 4. She grew up in the Sweggy Hills district of Calico Aster with ambitions to serve in government, believing she could use public office to help ensure that what her family had endured would never happen again.

Their love of American Blues and R&B helped Zara’s family learn English long before they migrated to the United States. Steeped in American culture and resilience, her parents named her Etta, after the legendary blues singer Etta James, a name that would come to match her own blend of soul and strength.

At 17, Zara was accepted to Calico Aster State University, home of the CASU Hammerheads, and earned an undergraduate degree in History and a master's in Public Service. 

Teaching:
Zara is a social studies teacher at Calico Aster Middle School, where she’s taught for 13 years since graduating from CASU.

Politics:
She serves on the Calico Aster City Council, representing Sherwood Hills, a majority middle-class district navigating political and economic change. She is serving her sixth consecutive year. City Council terms are two years in Calico Aster. 

Zara is driven by more than ambition — she believes in speaking up against unfairness. As a teacher, a city councilwoman, and a soldier’s wife, she’s worn many hats. And now, with the city at a crossroads, she plans for one more: becoming the mayor of Calico Aster, hoping to restore integrity and stability.