Her Story
About Laura
I've had quite a journey in education spanning 27 years. I started as a first grade teacher and technology coordinator, then switched schools to become an 8th grade teacher and technology coach, eventually moving into assistant principal in that same district. After that, I left public education for a while and became a college professor at St. Xavier University for about 6 years. I was looking to get back into schools and back into a system, and I had not ever in my career at that point done anything in independent schools. I was offered this opportunity to come be a partner in leadership at Morgan Park Academy, and I started this role on July 1. So far, it's been an incredible experience. In my current role, I focus primarily on curriculum and assessment, which is my main area of expertise. Data and assessment in education go hand in hand, and that's what I focus on. A typical day involves meetings with teachers, reviewing their progress with curriculum maps and assessments, digging into student data to look at trends and benchmark goals. One of my favorite parts of the job is the innovation aspect, developing new programs in alignment with our inquiry-based mission. Living so close to Chicago, our kids are afforded a lot of opportunity to connect with corporations, museums, and travel experiences. I get to manage these experiences for students and make sure we're fulfilling our mission of whole child learning, which happens not just in a classroom but in the world.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Laura
01What do you attribute your success to?
I got married pretty early, when I was about 24, and together we were able to build a life. I think that life that we've built has become my anchor and allowed me to dream a little bit and be brave about it. My family and my life, my kids, and even the students I've stayed connected with, and the professional relationships I've had, all of them have really anchored me and allowed me to be bold and dream outside of a box that I was very early put into. That's allowed me to be daring. My own husband has an interesting career path too. He was in journalism until the print industry kind of died, and then we figured out a way to send him back to law school. I think we've dared each other, almost, to be better, and that challenge has actually made us better humans and made us better professionals in our chosen path.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Some of the best advice I received was, we are the makers of what's next. It's actually at the top of my LinkedIn profile. I think because schools experience so much shift and change, and if the pandemic taught us anything, it's that we have to be nimble and pivot at any moment. Having the confidence that we can actually build what could be the new next thing, whether that is curriculum, whether that is assessment or something completely that no one's thinking of, I think harnessing that thought process that you could be potentially the ones that make school different is a really powerful idea. And I don't think it just rests with adults. I think that concept actually rests with the students themselves, to be able to empower kids to say, you know what, I think I want to change the way I learn, or change the way school looks. Opening up those avenues and gateways to allow that conversation is the first step to actually making something look and feel different for the better.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Illinois
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.