Many talented educators have earned acclaim in fields other than education. One outstanding example of this is Kara Laricks, a fourth grade elementary schoolteacher who is also an acclaimed fashion designer.

Kara hails from Overland Park, Kansas, but she currently resides in New York City. She taught fourth grade for ten years. “I love teaching,” she expressed in an interview for Curve Magazine. “I love that career.” The talented teacher always told her students to be true to themselves. Finally, she decided to take own advice and pursue her dream of a career in fashion.

Kara said that she has loved design ever since she was a child. She attended the Academy of Art University, where she graduated in 2008. In 2012, at the age of thirty-eight, she became a contestant on the first season of the reality show Fashion Star, where her designs garnered her the first place trophy. Rolling Stone Magazine credited the show with embracing the avant garde designer and commended the buyers, especially Macy’s, for thinking outside the box and selecting Kara. The former teacher was awarded a grand prize of $6 million of purchases by Macy’s, H&M, and Saks Fifth Avenue.