Since graduating from William Clarke College in 2004, Lara studied to be a Primary School teacher. For several years, Lara worked full-time at Caddies Creek Public School while completing a Graduate Diploma of Divinity at Morling College. She has a huge heart for education and is always eager to share the good news of Jesus with others. This led Lara to volunteering in 2015 with African Inland Mission in Madagascar. 

Lara's primary role in Madagascar was to train teachers at Madagascar Christian Academy, many of whom had never received any previous training. Lara mentored teachers, conducted training workshops, created a Social Studies curriculum for the school as well as a whole school rewards system to improve behaviour of the students. Lara found the libraries at the schools where she worked extremely under-resourced, so she contacted companies in Australia to donate books. By the end of her time in Madagascar, Lara was able to set up a new library filled with books for the children to read. 

Under Lara’s guidance, Madagascar Christian Academy experienced a remarkable improvement in teachers’ skills. The classrooms were infused with new enthusiasm as students showed enhanced learning outcomes, and the teachers displayed a heighted proficiency in delivering high-quality education.

Upon receiving the Alumnus of the Year award, Lara donated her award monies to ‘Growing the Nations Therapy Programmes’ in Madagascar. These funds helped support the free occupational therapy provided to many special needs children and adults in orphanage care, old age care, public schools and hospitals. Additionally, these funds continued to support and strengthen the partnership of ‘Growing the Nations’ with schools by helping to train teachers in acknowledging and addressing special needs, as well as appropriate therapies for various individuals that would otherwise be overlooked and side lined.

Lara returned to Australia at the end of 2015 and is now working as a Primary School teacher at Australian Christian College, Marsden Park.