She is known for her roles as Jenny Garison in the 2009 reboot of Fame, Debbie Berwick on Phil of the Future, and Nikki Westerly on Summerland.

[4] Kay received two academic scholarships from Glendale Community College,[5][6] where she studied acting and was on the Dean's list.

She portrayed Alice Brand in 7th Heaven, Melissa Rue in ER, Sara in Port Charles, Carrie Bauer in The Brothers García, Ellisha in Medium, and Lindsey Willows in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, to name a few.

[8] Panabaker had a recurring role in Phil of the Future as strait-laced Debbie Berwick, a friend of and foil to Pim Diffy (played by Amy Bruckner).

[8] Panabaker starred in the ABC sci-fi drama series No Ordinary Family, which ran for a single season ending in 2011 after 20 episodes.

[8] After playing Rosa in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta in 2012, Panabaker retired from acting.