There’s much to be said about fame and fortune, but it’s not very often that we talk about the hard work required to get to that point. For many success stories in various industries, that hard work begins in the classroom.

- Chef phenom Emeril Lagasse learned to “bam” at Johnson & Wales university. Find out which schools other Food Network notables attended, and serve yourself up a culinary career.

- Angelo Surmelis, a familiar face on cable design shows, discovered his love of interior design while in college. Learn more about his career, and how to follow in his footsteps.

- Ken Paves studied at the Vidal Sasoon Academy before he became a master stylist for the likes of Jessica Simpson and other stars. Get the inside scoop about him and other celeb stylists, who are stars in their own right.

- American Idol winner and country singing star Carrie Underwood had all intentions of being a TV news reporter before she broke big… she even finished out her degree after her Idol win.

- Before she became a household name starrring as “Ugly Betty,” America Ferrara studied international relations at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles).

- Kristin Kreuk of TV’s “Smallville” applies what she learned as a psychology and criminolgy major in college to her acting roles. See what else her college experience taught her.

The point here is you’ve got to start somewhere, just like these big names in their fields did. More often than not, education can be your career launching pad, and give you the foundation to succeed no matter where the road to fame leads.

Photo: Kai Hecker