DeAara started out performing when she was only five at the Memphis Children’s Theatre – it was then she knew that she wanted to do it for life. Throughout school, she honed her acting and writing skills by performing plays she wrote and joining the Drama Troupe, Voices with Choices. Her breakout performance came at fifteen, when she performed in the Memphis Blues City Cultural Center’s production of A Raisin in the Sun playing the twenty year old feisty college student, Beneatha.  She received raved reviews from critics and her peers alike. A year later, DeAara met a woman who would change her life, Ms. Florence “Flo” Roach.  Ms.Roach, an award-winning actress, had been the dramatic arts teacher at the high school, Middle College, where DeAara attended.  It was there that she discovered her depth and versatility as an actress.  Under the guidance of Flo Roach, she went on to win over fourteen acting competitions for portraying such characters as Othello and Desdemona simultaneously; as well as three state championships in Dramatic Interpretation and Duet Acting. Throughout high school, DeAara wrote plays and short stories as she dreamt of one day getting her break in Hollywood.  Yet, she very well knew of the limitations and hurdles African-Americans faced, in particular, African-American women.  As a result, she decided to study film and video making to learn how to structure an idea and bring it to life on screen while feeding her passion to write original material and portray complex characters.  Also, during this time, she worked with legendary stage director, Harry Bryce, the founder and artistic director of the African-American theatre company, The Memphis Black Repertory Theatre, in the critically-acclaimed Home portraying Woman I/Pattie Mae Wells and 24/7 Café as Allene Hadley.  She also worked with award-winning actress and playwright, Ruby O’Gray, in Come Thanksgiving and Cindy D. Rella as the quirky, offbeat fairy godmother.

In college, DeAara continued to study filmmaking, fell in love with the process, and participated in numerous student productions.  She soon decided to do an independent project and drafted what would eventually become, The Forgotten Ones.In 2001, DeAara graduated from the University of Memphis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.  She has written two feature length screenplays and continues to pursue her career as an actress, writer and filmmaker.