Former teacher Kara Laricks earned acclaim in fashion

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Former elementary school teacher Kara Laricks has enjoyed acclaim as a fashion designer. Photo credit: Kara Laricks

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

Kara hails originally from Overland Park, Kansas. She earned her Bachelor’s degree Elementary Education and Teaching from the University of Kansas in 1995. In 2000, she completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the same institution.

Once she completed her education, Kara taught fourth grade for ten years. “I love teaching,” she once expressed in an interview for Curve Magazine. “I love that career.” The talented teacher says she 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.

But teaching is not her only passion. Kara once said that she has loved design ever since she was a child. To further that interest, she enrolled at the Academy of Art University on a scholarship from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). She earned her Master’s of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design there in 2008. That year, the artistic academic was selected as one of nine MFA students to present their senior collection at New York Fashion Week in Fall, 2008.

In 2012, at the age of 38, Kara 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.

Covid claims life of retired Wyoming teacher George Geyer

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Teacher George Geyer succumbed to Covid-19 on August 20, 2021. Before his retirement, he taught History at Burrell High School in Burrell, Pennsylvania. Photo credit: Cowboy State Daily.

Sadly, educators continue to contract Covid-19. Retired teacher George Geyer of Wyoming is one of the most recent to succumb to the disease. He passed away on August 20, 1921. He was 81 years old.

The fallen teacher was born on June 7, 1940, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a youngster, George attended Springdale High School. After his graduation, he earned his degree from Grove City College, where he graduated in 1964. Grove City College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1876 as a normal school to train teachers. As an athlete, George played football for both his high school and his college teams.

Until his retirement from the teaching profession in 1995, George taught history at Burrell High School, located in Burrell, Pennsylvania. He also served as his school’s football coach there.

Upon retirement, George relocated to Livingston, Montana, where he continued to coach football. For the past six years, he also worked in the Wyoming State Legislature in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Most recently, he worked as a doorman, a post he held since 2017. In that role, the former educator was responsible for both security and decorum at the Capitol. Positions like George’s are not high-paying and are often staffed by retirees. “They’re basically volunteers,” remarked Rep. Steve Harshman (R-Casper), who said he talked to Geyer every morning during the session.

As if all these responsibilities were not enough, George was active with Cheyenne Frontier Days, volunteering on the ticket committee and the parade committee, where he organized the youth program for the rodeo. The youth program was designed to recruit students aged 13 to 18 years of age to take the place of older volunteers who were retiring from rodeo duties. Under his watch, George was able to grow the program to 45 young volunteers. “The students are really crushed,” observed Rep. Harding. “The youth just absolutely adored him.”

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this story published by the Casper Star Tribune.

Katie McGarvey named Illinois Special Ed Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations to Katie McGarvey, who has been named 2021 Special Education Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education. Photo credit: Journal & Topics.

When an educator is recognized for exceptional work in the classroom, this event is exciting to teachers everywhere. One educator who was recently honored was Katie McGarvey, a special education teacher from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. She was been named a 2021 Special Education Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Katie teaches Special Education at Hoffman Estates High School in District 211. Her career there has spanned a mere three years. Her students have intellectual and developmental disabilities. “For me, students come first,” Katie declares.  “I love seeing them every day, which drives my passion for this job,” she continues. “I hope to use that passion to continue to grow in a way that can always help the students,” she concludes.

“Katie is all about service to others,” asserts colleague Colleen Little.  “It’s been great to see her in action and to see her recognized.” In addition to her honors from the Illinois State Board of Education, Katie has also been honored as a 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award from Loyola University. She has also been inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma, a prestigious professional organization for women educators.

Katie graduated from Palatine High School in the small town of Palatine, Cook County, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Loyola University Chicago in 2018.

Covid-19 claims life of math, PE teacher Rodney Lee

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We regret to report that Covid-19 claimed the life of elementary math and physical education teacher Rodney Lee of Dalton, Georgia, on September 6, 2021. Photo credit: Photo credit: Dalton Citizen.

We regret to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Rodney Lee, an elementary school teacher from Georgia, succumbed to the disease on September 6, 2021. He was only 44 years old.

Rodney taught physical education at Varnell Elementary School in Dalton.  His wife, Lacey Lee, said her husband enjoyed young people. “He loved working with them, and it was really important to him to be a good role model for them,” she recalled.

Rodney inaugurated his career as an educator a math teacher. “He taught in middle school for one year and decided that wasn’t for him and went back to elementary school,” Lacey says. “Then the opportunity to become a physical education teacher came up, and he took it. That’s what he taught for the last 12 years or so,” she continued. “He was a great math teacher, but he just loved PE,” she concluded. In 2018, the fallen educator was recognized as the school’s Teacher of the Year. His career as a teacher spanned 18 years.

Rodney and Lacey met when they were both education students at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. “There was a student-teaching abroad program,” Lacey remembered. “We both signed up for it, and we both spent about eight weeks teaching in England and got to know each other and fell in love.”

In addition to teaching, Rodney coached travel softball, basketball, and baseball. He was active with Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief and Georgia Baptist Builders, an organization which helps the needy with construction projects. “He would work on cars (for those in need),” remembered friend Allee Worley. “He would work on air conditioners. He would build wheelchair ramps. And he did everything with a cheerful attitude and a smile on his face,” she said.

To read more about Rodney Lee, see this article published by the Dalton Citizen.