Kera Lynn Dissing, well known as “Kai”, says that the nickname was self-proclaimed, jokingly announcing, “I’m a genius and came up with it myself, and it’s stuck since 7th grade.” Kera was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, until she moved to Madison, South Dakota, when she was 11. She comes from a family of six, with three older siblings. Kera’s personality could be described as bubbly, open, and extremely friendly, so Kera chose Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony to represent herself, for the character's humor and ability to stay laughing. “While she has her struggles, she gets through it,” Kera comments.
Something that comes easily to Kera is luck. “Just in general, I get lucky with things,” she says. However, friendships and close relationships are an easy second. With those close relationships, Kera spends her free time with friends, family, and cats, Juniper and Oscar. Her favorites include the color pastel purple or any pastel, Korean Hot Pot, the movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (she’s team Edward), English class, Thai Tea, and the animal, Dik dik (a small, deer-looking, animal).
Music is a priority for Kera; she’s rarely seen without her headphones, with Sublime being her #1 artist this senior year, along with other Indie rock bands and artists, but also softer artists such as Clairo. When it comes to plans after high school, Kera is planning on attending St. Cloud State University in Minnesota to be an art major and (hopefully) one day a full-time muralist. In ten years, she plans to be working with a job she loves and owning even more animals. “I fear I will become a crazy cat lady in my later years,” Kera speaks proudly.